Glass

Chapter 1

The papers didn’t lie.

There was the truth in black and white, clear as crystal, staring right in front of her.

Olivia Jackson could only sit there rereading the fine print repeatedly; wanting to make sure she didn’t miss anything. How was this even possible? It was tragic enough she had lost her parents in a horrific fire and now she was left with their dark secrets. This wasn’t fair and didn’t make any sense as Olivia pushed the papers away on the table, silent tears falling from her citrine colored eyes.

“Miss Jackson, do you need a moment?” The lawyer asked cordially, his heart going out to the poor woman sitting across from him.

“Please don’t call me that.” Olivia requested in a monotone voice, wiping the tears away somewhat angrily. “Because that is not my last name, according to these documents.”

The lawyer smiled sadly. “On the contrary, Olivia, you were legally adopted by the Jackson family; so therefore, it is your last name.” He corrected her gently, reaching over to pluck a few Kleenex from the box and handed them over.

Olivia wanted to believe that wholeheartedly because she had loved her family and had a relatively normal life. They lived on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia in a beautiful two story Victorian style home that was built back in the 1800’s. She remembered running in the huge front yard and swinging on her tire swing her father had put up specifically for her.

Olivia was the Jackson’s only child, so she had no siblings, but her parents showered her with love and anything she wanted to make up for that loss. Being brought up in a wealthy family, Olivia never wanted for anything and was homeschooled because her mother didn’t trust the school system. Her parents hired one of the most well-known homeschooling teachers and gave Olivia all the education she needed to get through life safely.

As much as she should’ve, Olivia never resented her parents for keeping her closed up at home. Not only did it keep her out of trouble and away from peer pressure, but Olivia was able to focus solely on her studies, finishing school at the very top with straight A’s and a perfect GPA. Olivia had one friend named Simone Turner, who she grew up with since their parents were long-time best friends. Simone was also homeschooled and often the girls would end up having their classes together whenever their designated teachers wanted them to do group projects.

Once Olivia finished school, at the age of seventeen, she ended up going to a local college in Atlanta, not wanting to be away from her family. It was only an hour drive, so Olivia wasn’t that far away and, therefore, didn’t need a dorm room. Olivia’s major ended up being in journalism since she always loved to write, thankful her parents approved of her choice.

Simone went to college as well, though she was different from Olivia, wanting to break away from Atlanta. She ended up attending college at Florida State University and became a surgeon, having finished schooling a year sooner than Olivia because of her photographic memory. Whenever Simone came home from college, the girls made sure they spent time together, always maintaining their friendship somehow.

Olivia remembered sitting outside on the front porch swing with Simone on warm summer nights, just enjoying the buzzing of crickets and chasing lightning bugs. It was times that Olivia had taken for granted and thought she would have forever. Olivia was coming to the heartbreaking conclusion that nothing lasted forever and life could change in the blink of an eye.

The beauty the house possessed would forever be seared in Olivia’s memory, since that’s all she had left. The house had burnt to the ground, due to faulty wiring in the basement, and ended up taking her entire family’s life. Olivia was actually in town doing some shopping and hadn’t been in the house when the explosion happened or else she too would be nothing but ashes just like her parents.

“What happens now, Mr. Lewis?” Olivia asked quietly, leaning back in the chair and watched as an envelope slid in her direction.

“Your mother was very specific that you receive that in her will, along with all assets, properties and anything else they owned.”

Closing her eyes, Olivia didn’t know if she could handle any more surprises from her deceased parents and decided to open the envelope later. “Even though I’m not their biological daughter?” She asked in a clipped voice, standing up from the chair and slipped the envelope in her purse, sniffling.

“You don’t have to be blood to be family, Olivia.” Mr. Lewis stated soothingly, knowing this was extremely difficult for the poor woman to hear.

“Right.” Olivia didn’t believe him and pushed the chair in, trying to maintain her composure until she arrived back at the hotel she was currently staying at. “Is there anything else you needed from me today?”

“No, I’m afraid that’s all. I’m deeply sorry for your loss, Olivia.” Mr. Lewis grabbed her hand, patting it gently with saddened blue eyes. “Martin and Maggie were some of the kindest folk I’ve ever met. Don’t hate them for keeping the adoption from you. They loved you, that’s all you should keep in your mind and heart, darlin’.”

Even his deep southern accent wasn’t making Olivia feel better as she nodded curtly, slowly pulling her hand from his. “Thank you, Mr. Lewis. Have a nice day.” She walked out and headed straight for the exit doors, the tears already falling.

Everywhere Olivia went, all she saw was pity in people’s eyes and it made her wonder if they all knew her parents deep dark secret. That she really wasn’t Jackson blood and wasn’t worthy of their fortune. The Jacksons owned quite a few properties throughout the state of Georgia, one in Mississippi and, for some odd reason, one in Virginia. Olivia probably should’ve asked if Mr. Lewis had any information regarding who her biological family was, but honestly didn’t care right now.

Slipping behind the wheel, Olivia blinked fresh tears away and slipped the key into the ignition of her Ford Focus, putting the car in reverse, driving away. Her cell phone vibrated away in the front pocket of her Coach purse, but Olivia couldn’t bring herself to answer any phone calls. It was Simone checking up on her for the millionth time, worried about her since the funeral. As much as Olivia loved Simone and wanted to talk to her, she needed time to process everything Mr. Lewis told her in their meeting.

The funeral was huge and beautiful, everyone in the Atlanta area showing up to pay their respects to the Jacksons. Olivia had to set up all of the arrangements, with Simone’s help, which killed her to do because she didn’t want to say goodbye to her parents. They were the only people she knew, her only loved ones, and now they were gone because of a tragic turn of fate. If her father would’ve just updated the house with new wiring and whatnot, they would still be alive and Olivia wouldn’t be feeling as though her entire world was shattering around her.

“Damn it!” Olivia shouted, hitting the steering wheel as a surge of rage coursed through her, the hot tears she tried holding back spilling freely down her cheeks.

Luckily, she had stopped at a red light before lashing out, but now the blaring of horns was clearly telling her the light had changed. She glared in her rearview mirror and flipped the driver behind her off, not caring about being a ‘lady’ right now. Her parents would probably roll in their graves if they knew their little angel just performed an obscene gesture. Olivia was definitely raised better than that, but she was so angry that she just didn’t care about manners.

Arriving back at the hotel, Olivia snorted disdainfully as she slammed the door shut, storming inside and went straight to her room. It was actually a suite with a Jacuzzi and two bedrooms, a mini bar, kitchen, two bathrooms and a sitting area with a huge flat screen television. The hotel was actually owned by the Jackson family so Olivia didn’t have to pay a dime, making it her new home until she could find one.

Tossing her purse to the side, Olivia kicked her black pumps off and unbuttoned her long sleeved white silk blouse, after removing her black and white pinstriped cardigan, letting both flutter to the floor. She then yanked the comforter back and slipped into bed, curling up in a ball before finally letting the breakdown consume her. How could her parents keep the fact she’d been adopted away from her for the past thirty years? Olivia was turning thirty-one in a few weeks, more tears falling at the harsh realization that her parents would never again celebrate her birthday.

No more Christmases, Thanksgivings, New Years, Easters and Fourth of Julys.

“I should’ve died with them.” She whispered heartbrokenly, her tears soaking through the already tearstained pillow, every part of her body wracking violently with sobs.

Sometime later that night, Olivia woke up after crying herself to sleep and took a shower, washing away the day’s events. If only it were that easy. Olivia stepped out, wrapping a towel tightly around her body, brushed her teeth and long auburn hair before walking out into the main room to order room service. Sitting down on the bed, Olivia picked up the phone and began dialing downstairs, when her eye caught something out of the corner.

It was the envelope Mr. Lewis had given Olivia that her mother left in her will.

Slowly hanging up the phone, Olivia timidly moved toward the envelope, forcing one foot in front of the other, until she stood over it. Everything she wanted to know was in that envelope, all of the questions that were burning in her mind could be answered. Gritting her teeth, Olivia bent down to snatch it up from the carpeted floor and walked back over to the bed, sinking down on it.

For five minutes straight, Olivia just stared at it, afraid of what the contents would reveal. She fingered the small silver cross around her neck, a gift from her mother on her sixteenth birthday. Olivia never took it off, not even when she showered because her mother had been adamant about making her promise to wear it at all times. Chewing her bottom lip, Olivia blinked back building tears and flipped the envelope over, slowly breaking the seal on it.

Unfolding the thick white papers, Olivia took a deep breath and began reading…

My sweet Oli,

As you’re reading this letter, I know you must have a lot of questions and I promise to answer every one of them, sweetheart. I know it must be difficult for you to find out the truth about being adopted, but you have to know Daddy and I loved you unconditionally. I need you to believe that, even if you are angry with us for keeping you in the dark.

Before your father and I planted our roots in Atlanta, we both lived in a small town up north called Mystic Falls, Virginia. We were actually both born and raised there, went to school and even got married before making our way down to Atlanta because of your father’s work. He wanted to extend the business his father left him and we both promised to leave Mystic Falls behind once we left.

After we were married, we stayed in Mystic Falls for a few years and tried starting a family, but I had a lot of difficulty conceiving. We tried everything, my darling, but nothing worked and we were starting to wonder if we’d ever be able to have a child. That’s when we started looking into adoption and found you.

How we found you was out of sheer luck because I was good friends with a woman named Lucille Sommers. She was in a rocky marriage to a man named Blake and ended up having an affair with another man. Lucille was devastated and instantly came to me because she knew about my problems conceiving a child and we ended up striking a deal.

She told us that she would adopt the baby to us as long as we left Mystic Falls and never looked back. Blake was doing business overseas in Europe at the time for his company and wasn’t home for an entire year. We helped her as much as we could throughout the pregnancy and, luckily, her daughters were too young to remember what was happening. We were at every doctor appointment, every ultrasound and I was even in the room the night you were born. Daddy and I fell in love with you instantly, Oli, and a few days later we moved down to Atlanta.

Your biological sisters are named Miranda Sommers-Gilbert and Jenna Sommers. Jenna was only one and Miranda was two when Lucille ended up pregnant with you. Unfortunately, my darling, your biological mother, Lucille, is no longer with us and died of cancer ten years ago. I wanted to tell you about all of this then, but I was so afraid of losing you that fear stopped me. I was selfish and I’m so sorry because I know how heartbroken you must be right now with all of this newfound information.

Olivia, I know you probably hate me right now and I don’t blame you one bit, sweetheart, but you need to understand something. Mystic Falls is not a safe place to live, at all. It’s not a place to settle down and have a family, especially raising children.

That necklace that’s around your neck, the one you’ve never taken off since your sixteenth birthday, isn’t just an ordinary necklace. Lucille gave it to me the night you were born and promised me to give it to you on your sixteenth birthday. It will protect you against the evil that is in Mystic Falls should you decide to track down your biological family.

In closing, I just want to say that I am extremely proud of you, Olivia and, no matter what you think of me and Daddy, we have always loved you. You ARE and always will be our daughter. It never bothered us that you were never our blood. You are our daughter, you are a Jackson and don’t ever forget that. We love you so much, my darling, and we know you will make the right decisions and travel down the right paths in life.

Until we meet again in the next life.

All our love,

Mommy & Daddy

The letter slowly floated to the carpet as Olivia sat there staring straight ahead, feeling as though she couldn’t breathe. She had siblings? Another family and they were in Mystic Falls, Virginia…or what was left of it anyway. Jenna and Miranda were the only keys she had to unlocking all the information about the Sommers.

Swallowing hard, Olivia shakily stood up from the bed and walked over to her purse; pulling her cell phone out, calling the only person she could count on. “S-Sim, its Oli, y-you need to g-get to the h-hotel…” Olivia was crying so hard, she could barely speak and hung up as soon as Simone confirmed she was on her way, dropping to her knees as the tears flowed.

Chapter 2

Twenty minutes later, Simone arrived and banged her fist against the door, demanding Olivia to open it. Somehow, Olivia found the strength to stand up and answered the door, leaning against the wall for support. Simone frowned at the current state her best friend was in, blinking when Olivia suddenly flung her arms around Simone’s neck in a tight hug. Something told Simone that, whatever upset Olivia this badly, had to do with her not answering her cell phone when she tried calling earlier.

“What’s going on, Livi?” Simone asked calmly, running her fingers through Olivia’s wet hair with a deep frown on her face. “Talk to me, honey.”

Where the hell did Olivia begin?

Just the mere thought of having siblings, she’d spent the last twenty-nine years not knowing about, was enough to nearly bring Olivia to her knees. In the span of just a week, her life had been completely turned upside down and everything Olivia had known was a lie. Olivia was terrified she was going to lose Simone over this sudden turn of events, immediately pushing that thought in the far recesses of her mind.

“I-I need to sit down.” She stammered quietly, releasing Simone and walked over to sink down on the bed, wiping the unstoppable tears away. “You might want to sit as well.”

Simone didn’t like where this was going, heading over to join her on the bed, and stopped short at the piece of paper lying on the floor. “What’s this?” She asked, bending down to retrieve it from the carpet and looked up at Olivia frowning.

“Everything I’m about to tell you.” Olivia took the paper when Simone handed it over, refolding it and put it back in the envelope, tossing it on the nightstand.

“Do you want to get dressed first?” Simone suggested softly, knowing Olivia couldn’t be comfortable sitting in just a towel.

Nodding, Olivia slid from the bed, walking over to the small dresser, pulling out a pair of black fleece pants with a matching short sleeved form fitting top and black undergarments. Olivia quickly went into the bathroom to change privately, pulling her hair up in a loose bun to keep it out of her face before joining Simone moments later. Maybe it was the shock of the whole adoption news, but Olivia wasn’t as devastated as she probably should’ve been. Olivia was still functioning and figured it would hit her later on when she was alone.

“Feel better?” When Olivia nodded, Simone knew it was time to find out what was going on. “Livi, you know you can tell me anything, right? Whatever it is, we can get through it together.”

“I’m not so sure about that.” Olivia whispered, trying to gather her frazzled thoughts and the courage to tell Simone. “You might change your mind and take what you just said back after I tell you what I found out at the lawyer’s today.”

Grabbing both of Olivia’s hands, Simone’s deep jade eyes locked with hers, squeezing them a little. “I promise that whatever you tell me won’t change our friendship. We’re friends for life, remember?” Simone needed her to believe that, worry in her expression. “Now tell me.”

Olivia swallowed hard and lowered her eyes from Simone, pulling her hands free to clasp them tightly in her lap. “I found out from Mr. Lewis that…my parents hid something very important from me my entire life and apparently I wasn’t allowed to know until they died.” The bitterness in her voice could easily be detected, but Olivia couldn’t help letting some anger shine through.

That surprised Simone because, as far as she knew, Maggie and Martin were the most trustworthy people she knew besides her own parents. “What is it?” She was almost afraid to ask, keeping her voice neutral and braced herself for whatever came out of Olivia’s mouth next.

Out of nowhere, Olivia started laughing as the tears began flowing down her cheeks, the sound completely heartbreaking. “I-I’m not theirs.” Her voice was watery and Olivia had to stand up from the bed, raking a hand through the top of her head. “I’m not their biological daughter, Sim. The people that raised and took care of me, the people I thought I KNEW, are not really my family…”

Simone’s jaw dropped, immediately covering her mouth with her hand, hardly believing what she was hearing. “WHAT?!” Most of her exclamation was muffled due to her hand as Simone stared at her with wide eyes.

“Yeah, turns out I’m adopted.” More laughter followed as Olivia headed over to the mini bar, really needing a drink. “Turns out I’m not really a Jackson, that I’m a damn Sommers. Some lady named Lucille Sommers gave birth to me and I have two older sisters that I’ve never met before.” Slamming down a shot of Tequila, Olivia took pleasure in the liquid burning down her esophagus, the feeling welcoming. “And my parents aren’t originally from Atlanta like I was lead to believe.”

This was unbelievable. Had Olivia hit her head too hard or maybe she was misinformed of this information? Simone tried rationalizing this in her brain, not believing for a second Maggie and Martin would ever keep something THIS vital from Olivia. No, there had to be a reasonable explanation and Simone would wait until Olivia calmed down before getting to the bottom of it.

“You have sisters?” That finally registered in Simone’s brain, watching as Olivia stormed over and thrust the letter at her, blinking.

“That letter explains everything, every detail about who my biological family is. The women who are my sisters are named Jenna Sommers and Miranda Sommers-Gilbert. They both live in this place called Mystic Falls, Virginia.” Olivia explained in a rush of words, walking right back over to the bar to pour another shot of Tequila.

Shakily pulling the letter out, Simone ended up reading it while Olivia drowned her sorrows and pain in a few much needed shots of liquor. The handwriting was unmistakably Maggie’s and Simone began reading, each word breaking her heart a little more for Olivia. This was undoubtedly the most bizarre turn of events and Simone didn’t know how to respond or what to even think, slowly looking over at Olivia.

“God Livi…” Simone whispered, standing up from the bed and walked over, wrapping her arms tightly around Olivia’s shoulders from behind. “You’re still my best friend, nothing changes that, just like nothing changes the fact Maggie and Martin were your parents. I know you’re angry at them right now and you have every reason to be, but don’t ever forget that.”

Olivia went to take another shot and suddenly dropped the shot glass as her shoulders began shaking, the sobs once again devouring her. “I-I want to believe that so much, Sim. You have no idea...” She inhaled sharply, turning around in Simone’s embrace, desperately needing it. “But how could they keep something like this from me? I spent the last almost thirty years not knowing I had siblings and another family out there. I wanted brothers and sisters so badly and now I find out after my parent’s death that I actually have TWO sisters and I will never know my biological mother because she’s DEAD!!”

Closing her eyes, Simone held Olivia tightly and couldn’t help feeling a little resentment toward Maggie and Martin. Everything Olivia just said was the truth and, it didn’t matter what their excuses were, keeping this from their only daughter was the wrong thing to do. Simone suddenly wondered if her own parents knew anything about this, jade eyes narrowing at the thought. If they did, Simone would disown them because this secret caused a lot more harm than good by keeping it all these years from Olivia.

“Come on; let’s lay down for a while.” Simone whispered, already sending a text to her boyfriend, Jeffrey, that she wouldn’t be able to make their dinner date.

Olivia could only slide beneath the comforter that Simone pulled back, burying her face in the pillow. Simone slid in on the opposite side, facing her and held Olivia’s hand, wishing she could take away all the pain her friend currently felt. She had no idea what Olivia was feeling because she couldn’t imagine not being her parent’s biological daughter. Simone already vowed right then and there to do whatever it took to help Olivia through this, deciding to go with her if she did decide to track down her biological family in Mystic Falls, Virginia.

Knowing Olivia, she would want to get out of Atlanta and get some answers, good or bad, about where exactly she came from.

Olivia was up before Simone the following morning, staring out the window as the rain poured in gallons outside. The girls ended up falling asleep and slept throughout the night, both exhausted and emotionally drained. She looked over at Simone, seeing her stir a little and already had hot coffee ordered from room service, sipping her own. This wasn’t going to be an easy conversation to have with Simone, but Olivia knew what she had to do, hoping Simone supported her decision no matter what.

“Morning.” Olivia murmured when Simone rolled over to face her, pointing at the coffee on the nightstand. “It was just brought up about twenty minutes ago, so it should still be hot.”

“Thanks.” Simone whispered, wondering when Olivia had gotten up and immediately reached for the coffee, desperately needing a caffeine rush. “Judging by how you’re dressed, I’m going to take a safe guess and say you’ve been up a while.”

Olivia half-smiled, nodding. “You would be correct.” Pulling away from the window, she sat down on the end of the bed, facing Simone. “When you wake up a little more, we need to have a talk.”

“Another one?” Simone groaned, leaning her head back against the headboard after scooting up a little, drawing her knees up to her chest. “What about?”

“Just wake up a little more and we’ll talk.” Olivia assured softly, draining the rest of her coffee before going for a refill, needing it.

Simone stared back at Olivia skeptically, wary about what Olivia wanted to talk to her about and just sipped her own coffee, trying to wake up as fast as she could. While the silence hindered between them, Simone couldn’t help looking around the suite and noticed that all of Olivia’s things were packed up, the bags by the door. Her suspicions about what Olivia was going to do were confirmed and Simone suddenly knew what this talk involved.

“I’m going with you.”

Olivia nearly dropped her fresh cup of coffee, whipping her head around to stare at Simone with wide citrine eyes. “What?” She exclaimed, raising an inquisitive brow when Simone merely smiled at her. “What are you talking about?”

“You honestly think I’m that deluded and blind, don’t you?” Simone shot back playfully, standing up from the bed. “If you think you’re leaving Atlanta without me, you’ve seriously lost your mind, Livi.”

“How did you-”

Simone laughed; pointing at the bags she spotted by the door and smirked when Olivia’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment. “You look like someone who just got their hand caught in the figurative cookie jar.” Wrapping an arm around Olivia’s shoulders, Simone winked. “Lighten up; we’ve been friends for years. I already knew you were leaving Atlanta to find your biological family. And I’m going with you.”

“I can’t let you do that, Sim.” Olivia broke free from her embrace, shaking her head. “I can’t let you give up everything you have here. You have a family and a boyfriend, a great job…you can’t give all that up just to go on a trip with me.”

“What part of ‘I’m going with you’ did you not understand? You honestly think I care about my job and Jeffrey? That boy can’t even get it up in bed!” Simone crowed, folding her arms in front of her chest. “You can’t do this alone, Livi. Whether you like it or not, we’re two peas in a pod, honey girl. Even when I was in Florida at college, we always kept in touch and always promised to be there for each other. I’m not about to break that promise.”

“But what about your family? They’ll freak out, Simone.” Olivia tried reasoning, but already knew her best friend’s mind was made up, groaning. “You’ll end up following me anyway if I don’t let you ride with me, right?”

“Damn straight.”

Olivia sighed heavily, running a hand through her auburn hair and reluctantly nodded. “Fine, I guess I have no choice except to let you tag along.” She muttered, grunting when Simone clobbered her with a tight hug and couldn’t help returning it. “Thank you.”

“Hey, friends for life.” Simone pulled back to stare into Olivia’s eyes, tapping her nose. “Don’t worry, we’ll find your sisters and try to piece together what should’ve been your life. Although, part of me is glad that you were adopted because, if you weren’t, we would’ve never met.”

Olivia didn’t think of that possibility and lowered her eyes, chewing her bottom lip. “It’s not that I’m not thankful to be a Jackson because I am. I love my Mom and Daddy; they brought me up, taught me right from wrong and instilled morals into me. I’m angry at them for keeping this from me, but I can’t help missing them either and wished they were still alive. But I have to know the truth, Sim. I have to know where I originally come from and what kind of family was kept from me. Miranda and Jenna could have all the answers I need and I know there’s a chance they could slam the door in my face, but honestly, if I don’t try I will regret it for the rest of my life.” Wiping a few stray tears away from her eyes, Olivia reached down to grab some of her bags, not surprised when Simone instantly jumped to help her.

“I completely understand where you’re coming from, Livi, and we will figure everything out. Together.” Simone stressed that last word, hoping Olivia didn’t try bailing on her or something because she felt it was the ‘right’ thing to do. “Now come on, we have to go to my house so I can pack up a few things before hitting the road. Do you know how to get there?”

“My GPS will get us there safely.” Olivia hoped anyway, having relied on it to get her back and forth from Atlanta to home several times. “Daddy was really protective of me and bought me one a few years ago. As long as I follow whatever the damn thing says, we should get to Mystic Falls relatively unscathed.”

“Good.” Simone nodded, closing the door behind her and waited for Olivia to check out of the suite.

Once that was taken care of, Olivia and Simone stopped at Olivia’s car first to put her bags in the trunk. “Are you sure you want to come with me, Sim? You really don’t have too…”

Simone rolled her eyes, snapping her fingers in Olivia’s face. “Yes I’m sure and don’t ask me again. Follow me to my house and, if you even THINK about trying to bail on me, I will hunt your little ass down and beat you. We clear?” It wasn’t a threat, it was a promise.

“Got it.” Olivia muttered good-naturedly, both girls embracing one final time before driving away from the hotel with Olivia following Simone.

Chapter 3

The eight hour drive from Atlanta to Mystic Falls wasn’t that bad and went relatively quick, too quick for Olivia. One thing about Simone that Olivia admired was her conversational skills because there was never a dull moment between them. She didn’t mention anything about Mystic Falls once, keeping the conversation light because she didn’t want to upset Olivia. The problem with Simone’s method was, as soon as the sign passed that said ‘Welcome to Mystic Falls’, the butterflies instantly erupted in her stomach.

“Whoa, what the hell?!” Simone growled, having been startled out of a catnap and blinked over at her friend, jade eyes wide. “Livi?”

Olivia had screeched the car to a halt and stared straight ahead, gripping the steering wheel so tightly, her knuckles turned white. “I can’t do this.” She whispered, blinking and tears instantly began flowing down her cheeks. “This was a mistake…”

Simone was waiting for the breakdown and panic attack to start, looking around the area before reaching across the seat to take her hand. “Olivia, look at me sweetie.” Olivia slowly did as she was told, the tears not stopping and locked eyes with Simone. “I need you to pull over to the side of the road and get out of the car with me.”

“W-Why?” Olivia frowned, thinking that was a very odd request from Simone, but also knew her friend had a point to everything she did usually.

“Just do it and trust me.” Olivia pulled the car over as requested and put it in park, cutting the ignition, quirking a brow when Simone instantly jumped out. “Ohhh it feels SO good to stretch my legs!” She crowed out, beginning to stretch her arms in the air, the crisp air gently blowing through her hair. “Come on, Livi, get out and stretch your legs! This place is so beautiful!”

It was around four o’clock in the afternoon -they had stopped to use the restroom and grabbed a bite to eat after Simone’s incessant banter about being hungry- and Simone couldn’t help agreeing with her best friend. Mystic Falls definitely had a beauty about it and somehow outdid Atlanta by a longshot. Stepping out of the car, Olivia looked around warily, remembering what her mother’s letter said about the dangers this place had. Fingering her cross necklace absentmindedly, Olivia joined Simone, both of them just taking a much needed breather.

“What if I’m not doing the right thing, Sim?” Olivia looked over at her, slipping her free hand in the back pocket of her faded blue jeans. “I could be potentially destroying these people’s lives by just barging into their lives.”

“You can’t think of it that way, Livi.” Simone stated, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders. “This is exactly the reason I came with you because I knew you would have second thoughts. You need to do this; you deserve answers just as much as your biological family. You have two sisters that don’t even know you exist, as far as we know anyway. Hell, maybe they do know about you. Maybe your biological mother came clean to them in a letter on her deathbed just like Maggie did to you. Look, I’m not saying this is going to be easy because it’s not, but if you don’t do this, you’re going to regret it for the rest of your life, Olivia.”

Olivia absolutely hated it when Simone was the voice of reason, everything she said being right. “Why do you have to make it sound so easy and simple?” She grunted, trying to sound irritated and failing miserably while Simone laughed at her.

“That’s just part of my charm, honey girl, you know that.” Simone nudged her playfully, the smile dissolving from her face as her eyes turned serious. “I will be by your side the whole time and we don’t have to go barge into their lives today. We can get a hotel room and you can take as much time as you need, but we’re not leaving this place until you get the answers you came for.”

“We might have to end up doing that anyway because I have no idea where these people live, if they’re still here. They might’ve moved for all I know.” Olivia scrubbed a hand down her face, wishing she would’ve thought this through a little more before jumping the gun.

“Then we’ll just have to be Sherlock Holmes and start investigating the town, ask people questions until we either come to a dead-end or find out their whereabouts.” Simone said simply, shrugging when Olivia looked at her bewildered and grinned. “What?”

“There you go doing it again.” Olivia muttered, wishing she had even an ounce of the confidence her best friend did. “You really shouldn’t be putting your career on hold for me, Sim…”

“Hey, don’t give me that crap.” Simone shot back, glaring. “It was MY choice to come here with you and it’s not like I’m hurting financially. One surgery sets me for at least a year and I’ve done countless. I could easily move my practice anywhere, even to a small town like Mystic Falls, so stop feeling guilty about it. You have enough to worry about right now, understand?”

Olivia lowered her amber eyes to the ground, nodding curtly. “Yes ma’am.” She mumbled, feeling like a child that just got scolded for bad behavior. “I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

“Good.” Simone winked and slid back into the car without preamble, waiting for Olivia to join her patiently.

After standing there a few more minutes, Olivia finally slid behind the wheel again, feeling a renewed confidence doing this. “Thanks Sim.” She whispered, not knowing what she’d do without this woman and grabbed her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “It means a lot.”

“You’d do it for me.” Simone said deferentially, buckling up while Olivia fired up the car again, looking behind them before pulling back on the road.

Soon, a small picturesque town came into view that shined with beauty and life, both girls awed by it. There were small businesses lined up in brick buildings along what looked like one of the only highways in and out here. Before them stood a huge white clock tower, people ambling on by with smiles on their faces.

Mystic Falls had a very classic, elegant and ancient feeling to it, definitely not modernized like most places in the states. Stopping at a red light, Olivia felt a sense of serenity stow over her and wondered how this entrancing town could possibly hold any dangers. It looked very peaceful and quiet as she stepped on the gas when the light flashed green, going the slow speed limit. From what the girls could tell, there was a high school, hospital, police station, some kind of worldly hall, library and a place called the Mystic Grill.

“How about we stop for some food?” Olivia didn’t wait for Simone’s response, already pulling into a parking spot in front of the building and cut the ignition.

“Sure…” Simone shook her head with a smile, stepping out of the car with Olivia, both of them looking at the building almost skeptically. “You ready for this?”

Olivia nodded, squaring her shoulders and tucked the keys in her purse. “No time like the present.” The building was a crisp dark hunter green with one long tan awning, brown doors, the structure and architecture of it matching the town’s sophisticated beauty. “Come on.”

Smiling at Olivia’s sudden confidence, Simone knew she was ready to do this investigation and followed her inside. The interior was breathtaking with dark brown tables and chairs first greeting them. It looked like a bar/restaurant, which was the perfect place to start asking questions. The bar was in the far back, so Olivia couldn’t see it very well, the woods polished hard wood and shined. There was a fireplace over where looked like a small café, an area designated for serenity and peacefulness, Olivia observed, looking over her shoulder at Simone.

“This place is amazing.” Simone whispered excitedly, jade eyes alight with wonder and smiled when a strapping young man came toward them. “Excellent service too.”

“Behave.” Olivia admonished in a whisper, smiling warmly at the blonde haired, blue eyed man, clearing her throat.

“Welcome to Mystic Grill, ladies.” The man –Olivia’s eyes instantly darted down to read his nametag- Matt greeted cordially with a handsome perfect smile. “Is there anything I can help you with today?”

“You can get us a table, blue eyes.” Simone stated, stepping in front of Olivia and offered her hand with glowing jade orbs. “And some menus, if it’s not too much trouble, Matt.” She too had notice the nametag, flashing a heart stopping smile that made almost every man Simone came in contact with swoon.

Matt was no exception. “O-Of course.” He stammered, swallowing hard and instantly handed over two menus to the lovely ladies. “Follow me please.”

“Thank you.” Simone winked over her shoulder at Olivia, grinning when her friend merely shook her head at her in response.

“You are impossible.” Olivia grunted once they were seated and alone, flipping her menu open to see what Mystic Grill had to offer. “I think I need a drink.”

“Amen sister!” Now Olivia was speaking her language. “I need one too, that drive was hellacious.”

“Not to me.” Olivia wished it would’ve been longer, she still couldn’t believe she was sitting in a bar/restaurant in Mystic Falls, the place where her biological family could potentially reside.

“Hello, I’m Bonnie and I’ll be your waitress this evening.” A beautiful African American woman greeted moments later, holding a pad of paper, her black hair curled loosely around her face. “So what will it be?”

Simone wondered where the gorgeous blonde went and figured she’d see him again sooner or later, small town and all. “Bonnie, me and my gal will start off with two double shots of bourbon. Go easy on the ice, doll face.”

Could Simone embarrass her any further? Olivia couldn’t help burying her face in her hands, shaking her head and watched as the dark skinned woman walked away. “You’re mortifying me, Sim.” She groaned in a whisper, watching the mischievousness flash through her friend’s eyes. “We’re supposed to be keeping a low profile.”

“I am, but there’s no harm in having a little fun…” Simone’s voice suddenly trailed off when possibly the most gorgeous man walked into Mystic Grill, her breath suddenly hitching.

The man had pale skin, short black hair that looked soft to the touch and deep dark eyes that could only be brown. He stood around five seven or five eight, somewhere around there, but that’s not what caught Simone’s attention. The long sleeved gray shirt he wore looked like a second skin and defined his obvious muscular frame. Black jeans hugged his squeezable ass deliciously and Simone suddenly felt her mouth go dry, chewing on her thumbnail while practically devouring him visually.

“Damn, talk about a fine lookin’ specimen.”

Olivia blinked, looking in the direction Simone’s eyes were currently fixated on and tilted her head. “He’s not bad.” She shrugged, watching as Simone’s eyes shot open at her in dismay.

“You’ve lost your damn mind, LOOK AT HIM!!” Simone urged, not believing the audacity of Olivia to describe that perfect man as ‘not bad’. “You seriously need to get your eyes checked because that man just got my libido revving.”

Olivia couldn’t help chuckling and smacked Simone’s arms, forcing her back to reality out of her current drooling state. “Behave, at least until after we get settled in town. Then you can have your wicked way with him if you want.”

“Damn straight I will.” Simone grinned, looking up when the waitress, Bonnie, came back over with their drinks.

“Thank you.” Olivia said softly and suddenly swallowed down the whole glass, after clinking it with Simone’s. “Wow that’s delicious…”

“Indeed.” Simone smirked, the burning liquid a welcoming feeling as she leaned back in her chair, not able to help stealing glances over at the hunk. “Hey Bonnie, can I ask you a question?”

Bonnie looked skeptical at both women, raising one perfect black eyebrow. “Sure…” She suddenly brushed against the ash blonde while retrieving her glass along with the shy auburn, sighing with inner relief that they were human. “How can I help you?”

“That man over there,” Simone grinned, pointing across the way discreetly and watched as the waitress turned around in the direction she aimed. “What’s his name?”

Bonnie smiled, turning back to face her customers. “That would be Tyler Lockwood, a friend of mine.” She offered, taking both of the empty glasses. “Refill ladies?”

“Sure, along with some food. Just a hamburger for me with some fries and whatever this horn ball wants.” Olivia smirked when Simone glared playfully, rolling her eyes.

“Just get me the same thing.” Simone wasn’t ashamed, draping one arm across the back of the chair, watching the waitress walk away. “Something tells me I’m going to like Mystic Falls.”

“Figures.” Olivia grunted, both girls suddenly sharing a hearty laugh. “Okay enough ogling the poor guy, we need to talk strategy about the reason we’re here.”

Bonnie set the tray on the bar, nodding when Matt waved her to the back and instantly went to him. “They’re human.” She murmured quietly, looking into his worried blue eyes.

Matt physically relaxed and sighed with relief, thankful they didn’t have another case on their hands. “Good, I’m glad. I had a feeling the auburn haired one was, but I wasn’t sure about the ash blonde.”

“Oh you mean the one who is currently undressing Tyler with his eyes?” Bonnie smirked when Matt’s blue eyes widened, smirking. “She asked about him and wasn’t subtle on her eyeballing.”

“Damn, I really liked her too.” He chuckled when Bonnie punched him in the shoulder, suddenly growling as he took her into his arms, softly kissing her lips. “You know we’re going to get in trouble if we get caught back here, right?”

Bonnie shrugged, not really caring and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him again. “They’ll get over it considering how many times I’ve walked back here and caught other employees making out.”

Matt chuckled, running a finger down her cheek. “I called Damon.” He figured now was as good a time as any to inform his girlfriend, watching her eyes widen. “I had too, Bonnie.”

“You idiot! You should’ve waited until AFTER I checked them out!! You know how he gets with newcomers!” Bonnie scolded, popping him in the back of the head lightly and groaned when that familiar presence fell over her. “And he’s already here, damn it.”

“Sorry.” Matt muttered while Bonnie rushed out to make sure Damon didn’t disturb the women she was currently waiting on, grabbing their drinks in the process. “I am an idiot…” Grabbing the nearest towel, Matt went to go wipe down the bar counter; trying to keep himself busy and hoped calling Damon wasn’t a huge mistake.

Chapter 4

Damon Salvatore had a pale complexion with a muscular toned physique. He had blue eyes that were naturally electrified, along with short black hair that rested just below his ears, the style casually disarrayed and messy. His clothing was always dark, his outfit consisted of a long sleeved black shirt that looked painted on and had a V-shaped neckline. His legs were encased in a pair of dark blue jeans that almost looked black, black boots on his feet and he wore a black leather jacket that he almost never left the house without.

His eyes instantly landed on Bonnie, already knowing she was with the newcomers and smirked, heading toward the bar. “Double shot of bourbon.” He rumbled, angling his hand toward Matt, who was the current bartender.

“Coming right up.” Matt grunted, pouring Damon’s favorite and set it in front of him on a napkin, his eyes meeting Bonnie’s across the grill momentarily. “They’re human.”

“Witchy confirm that?” Damon nodded curtly before swallowing his double shot, slowly looking over his shoulder at the two women in question. “So, did you find out anything about them?”

“No man, nothing.” Matt wasn’t about to tell Damon that the ash blonde had taken a liking to Tyler, knowing that would not go over well. “I think they might just be passing through.”

Damon highly doubted that, his eyes landing on the auburn and tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “You’re wrong on that, Mattie boy. No, they’re definitely here for a reason.” One he intended to find out, gesturing for a refill and suddenly began listening to their conversation.

Being what he was definitely had its perks.

“A gym teacher eh?” Simone had a nice buzz currently going, but she was still fully aware of where she was. “Hmm I’ve never done a teacher before…”

“SIMONE!” Olivia gaped and covered her suddenly burning cheeks, popping a fry into her mouth while the waitress, Bonnie, started laughing. “I am so sorry about this…” One thing about Simone was she definitely didn’t have a shy bone in her body and spoke her mind, good or bad.

“Don’t apologize, it’s been a long time since we’ve had someone as outspoken as her around here.” Bonnie grinned, noticing that Matt had Damon currently occupied at the bar and hoped he kept it up until the women could leave without a run-in. “Tyler is also the high school’s wrestling, basketball, football and baseball coach.”

“Is that right? Damn, how the hell does he juggle all of that?” Simone was amazed, suddenly feeling the overwhelming urge to walk up to Tyler Lockwood and introduce herself.

“Oh believe me; I don’t know how he does it either. Where he gets his energy is beyond me, but he’s an awesome coach. We’ve been friends since grade school…” Bonnie chewed her lip when Damon kept stealing glances at them and decided to do something she normally wouldn’t. “I can introduce you, if you want.” There went Matt’s plan in keeping Damon in the dark regarding the ash blonde’s attraction to Tyler, all because of his beautiful girlfriend.

Jade eyes instantly lit up as Simone nodded eagerly, ignoring Olivia’s warning glare, flashing a brilliant smile. “Is he single?” She had to know, refusing to after someone that was out of her reach and not available.

“Yes.” Bonnie grinned, watching the ash blonde beauty stand up without hesitation, chuckling.

“Lead the way, doll face.”

Olivia could only gape after her friend and felt completely mortified, burying her head in her hands. This was not going according to plan at all. They were supposed to be blending in and, because of Simone’s hormones going haywire, they were doing anything but. Shaking her head, Olivia looked up and jumped out of her skin at the sight of a strange man occupying Simone’s seat.

Matt groaned inwardly, having turned around to give Damon his third refill, only to find no sign of him. His blue eyes instantly went to where the auburn haired woman sat and there Damon was, already taking the liberty of introducing himself. This wasn’t going to end well, especially since they were newcomers and Damon was very untrustworthy. Really hoping Bonnie noticed this; Matt started clearing the bar of the few empty beer bottles and glasses, suddenly regretting involving Damon in this.

“Hello there, beautiful.” Damon greeted politely, his voice low and deep, a soft smile crossing his lips.

Olivia swallowed hard, her breath completely stolen from the presence of this man and mentally cursed because this wasn’t the time for her voice box to choose to stop working. His endearment instantly made her flush, feeling her cheeks burning a deep crimson and had to look away from his hypnotic blue eyes. They were the lightest shade of blue she’d ever seen, reminding her of an aquamarine stone.

Tyler Lockwood had NOTHING on this man.

‘Speak you fool, stop making a spectacle of yourself!’ Her mind shouted at her and Olivia inhaled silently, nodding back at him. “Hi.” Good, her voice still worked, but she hated how it came out in a soft squeak, clearing her throat.

Damon’s smile turned almost predatory, already knowing she was putty in his hands, generally having that effect on women. “Forgive the intrusion, but I noticed you from the bar and had to introduce myself.” Extending his hand, those aquamarine eyes locked on deep amber, instantly captivated by the color of her eyes. “I’m Damon Salvatore.”

“Olivia Jackson.” She murmured in reply, slipping her hand into his and instantly felt the electricity rush up her arm at the contact, smiling shyly.

Knowing he wasn’t the only one who felt sparks, Damon slowly shook her hand and reluctantly released it. “Mind if I buy you a drink, Olivia?” He asked cordially, already raising his hand toward the bar and knew Matt would know what to bring him.

“I suppose not…” Olivia blinked when the blonde, Matt, arrived moments later and set two drinks down, both double bourbons. “Thank you.” She murmured, peeking up at Matt before her eyes moved back to Damon, that name alone instantly causing heat to blast through her body.

“Cheers.” Damon watched in fascination as she threw back the bourbon like a pro and he’d be lying if he said that wasn’t a major turn-on. A woman, human no less, who could hold her liquor. “Another?”

Olivia was incredibly tipsy and shook her head, hating to decline him, but she had way too much to drink already. “No, but I wouldn’t mind getting some coffee.” She still had to drive both her and Simone to a local hotel, hoping there was one with vacancy.

“Coming right up.” Damon waved his hand again, holding up a one finger gesture to let Matt know he only required one refill. “The beautiful lady will have coffee, Matt.”

Matt walked away silently to get the order, wondering what Damon’s game was.

“So Olivia,” Her name flowed off his tongue in a fine, seductive caress, smirking when he saw her involuntarily shiver and locked his eyes on those amber orbs again. “What are you doing in Mystic Falls?”

Olivia tilted her head slightly; watching as Damon’s eyes slowly swirled and became confused. “Is there something wrong with your eyes?” She asked worriedly, watching as he blinked before looking away from her, eyebrows drawing together.

“No, just got something in them.” He answered, trying to keep the gruffness out of his voice and couldn’t believe his compulsion didn’t work, suddenly inhaling a different scent coming from her. ‘Vervain.’ He pinpointed in thought, eyes moving straight to the small cross charm around her neck and let an easy smile slid across his lips again. “That is a charming necklace you’re wearing.” He complimented, needing to get back on his game.

Sadness instantly entered those magnetic amber eyes as they lowered from Damon’s penetrating gaze, Olivia fingering it thoughtfully. “It was a gift from someone very special to me.” She said quietly, already feeling the tears surface and knew it was time to say goodbye for the evening.

Damon could instantly feel the apprehension coming off of her in waves and grabbed her hand gently from across the small table, concern in his eyes. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to upset you, Olivia.” He apologized, not meaning it, but she didn’t need to know that.

“It’s okay, not your fault.” Olivia assured him with a half-smile, wondering when Simone was going to be finished talking to the gym teacher, both of them over by the pool table. “Damon, do you mind if I ask you something?” A thought suddenly occurred to Olivia and she figured it couldn’t hurt to ask this man an innocent question.

“Sure, fire away.” Damon took his time with his third refill Matt brought over, Olivia waiting until they were alone again. “I’m well known around here, Olivia, so you can trust me. I’ve lived in Mystic Falls all my life.” He figured divulging that information to her would hopefully make her trust him a little more.

“Do you happen to know if there’s a nearby hotel around here?” Olivia asked softly, knowing she’d made the right decision considering he no doubt knew Mystic Falls inside and out. “My friend and I have traveled a far distance and we’re new here, if it wasn’t obvious.”

It was, though Damon wasn’t about to tell her that and considered her question for a few seconds. “I’ll do you one better. It just so happens that I own a mansion on the outskirts of this town in the woods with my little brother. Very private, secluded. Seven bedrooms with private bathrooms, plenty of room for you and your friend over there.” He gestured to the pool table area. “The only hotel that I know of is about twenty minutes away from here and you look far too tired to travel anymore. It would be my pleasure to give both of you a place to stay, at least for the night.”

To say Olivia was taken aback by his proposal would’ve been the understatement of the century. All she could do was stare at him with a gaping mouth and didn’t know how to respond. Half of her wanted to take him up on the offer and the other part wanted to run in the opposite direction. Olivia was definitely going to have to talk to Simone about this before making any decision, trying not to show her sudden nervousness.

“Would you mind if I discussed this with my friend first? I don’t want to make a decision without her.” Olivia reasoned, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice and watched Damon nod.

“Absolutely, take your time. I’ll be over at the bar.” He informed her coolly, standing and walked away toward the bar, the biggest Cheshire grin on his face.

Matt groaned, not liking the expression that crossed Damon’s face. “You look like a cat that just ate the canary.”

“Maybe I did.” Damon winked; opening his ears again and could hear how fast Olivia’s heart currently thumped, closing his eyes to savor that sound for a moment. “Another refill, Mattie.”

Olivia chewed her bottom lip nervously, slowly slinking into the gaming area of Mystic Grill and definitely walked in at the wrong time. Tyler hovered over Simone’s petite frame, both of them bent over with the pool cue and he was apparently teaching her how to play. The look on Simone’s face was pure lust and Olivia instantly knew they had hit it off, feeling guilty she had to cut their time short.

“Sim, can I speak with you for a second?” Olivia called out quietly, watching as Simone looked up at her and instantly stood up straight, shoving the cue into Tyler’s hands.

“Are you okay?” Simone was over to Olivia in seconds, her lustful pool game temporarily forgotten. “What’s going on?”

Olivia didn’t want to have this conversation in front of the gym teacher and pulled Simone out of the room, running a hand through her hair. “I was approached by a man while you were having your fun with Mr. Hot Stuff Gym Teacher.” She stated somewhat heatedly, leaning against the wall and could see the worry instantly fill Simone’s eyes. “Don’t worry I’m fine, he bought me a drink and we talked for a bit. He’s lived in Mystic Falls all of his life and…I asked him if there was a hotel around here, since we didn’t know.”

“And?”

This is where the conversation was going to become complicated and, unbeknownst to the girls, Tyler Lockwood was also listening in. “Look, I know this is crazy to even consider, but…we’ve both been drinking and there’s no hotel around here besides the one we passed before coming into town, which is about twenty minutes away.”

Simone held her hand up, stopping her friend from continuing. “You’re rambling, Livi, get on with it.” She ordered, getting Olivia back on track and smiled when her friend blushed deeply.

“He’s at the bar right now and…DON’T LOOK!” Olivia hissed when Simone instinctively turned her head to look toward the bar, yanking her arm to force her attention back on her. “His name is Damon Salvatore. He’s offering us a place to stay, just for the night, at his mansion in the woods. Apparently, he owns it with his little brother…” This was seriously insane; there was no way Simone would want to do this, especially with all the horror movies they watched together in the past.

Simone’s pale blonde eyebrow slowly rose as soon as Olivia stopped talking; once again her jade eyes glancing back to stare at the man at the bar, before looking back at Olivia. “Seriously?” When Olivia nodded nervously, Simone had no idea what to say or even think, deciding to put the decision in Olivia’s hands. “Whatever you wanna do, honey girl.”

“Oh that’s great, leave all the decision-making up to me!” Olivia groaned, scrubbing a hand down her face and had to admit the offer was very tempting. “I really don’t want to drive twenty minutes away…”

“Then we either sleep in the car and wait until our buzz wears off or…” Her eyes moved back to the bar, suddenly grabbing Olivia’s hand without warning and headed in that direction.

“W-What are you doing, Sim?!” Olivia demanded in a hushed whisper, amber eyes widened in pure shock and perplexity.

Simone didn’t answer her and tapped the man named Damon on his leather jacket covered shoulder, smiling when he turned to face her. “Hi, I’m Simone Turner and you already know my best friend, Olivia. We’ll take you up on your offer for tonight.”

Since Olivia wasn’t going to make the decision, Simone decided to make it for her, not wanting to stay in a scuzzy hotel anyway. Olivia wanted to crawl in a black hole and never come out again, her mouth hanging open at what Simone just did. Had she completely lost her mind? Surely she couldn’t have had that much to drink, unless Tyler Lockwood was feeding her shots? What the hell was going on?

“Terrific!” Damon crowed, downing his last drink and winked over at a confounded Matt and Bonnie, grinning from ear to ear. “If you ladies are ready, we’ll head out then.”

Olivia could only follow, letting Simone guide her by the hand out of Mystic Grill, wondering what was going to happen now.

Chapter 5

Driving down a dirt road that turned into a regular smooth blacktop road, amber eyes widened as Olivia turned the corner, a magnificent mansion staring back at them. It stretched for what seemed like miles and had a huge wrap around driveway, the style Victorian and worldly much like the town. From what Olivia noticed, it was mostly red brick with dark browns, tans and blacks framing the windows and other aspects of the mansion.

The windows had diamond panes of obscure glass and there were five huge trees right in front of it, giving the mansion plenty of shade as it was surrounded by woods. The landscape was perfectly green with some bushes; a few vines crawling up the house, which just added to the majesty of it. Not able to suppress a shudder that suddenly flowed through Olivia; she could only imagine what Simone was thinking, swallowing hard.

“Okay…I thought you said he lived in a HOUSE.” Simone gawked, rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating or seeing things and glanced over at a flabbergasted Olivia. “This is not a HOUSE, it’s a freaking mansion!”

Olivia’s cheeks reddened and didn’t say anything as they pulled into the long driveway beside Damon’s classic 1969 Chevy Camaro ZL-1. The color was a beautiful blue that was just a shy darker than his eyes and had a black top, the engine reverberating through Olivia. She couldn’t stop admiring the magnificent machine, deciding she would secretly nickname it ‘Sex on Wheels’. Stepping out, Olivia gathered their bags from the backseat and tossed Simone’s bag at her, smirking when she caught it.

“I must say, you have quite the vehicle, Mr. Salvatore.” Simone complimented as soon as he stepped out of it, slowly walking on the opposite side of it and had to stop her hand from running across the smooth hard surface. “So beautiful…”

“Call me Damon, please.” He requested softly, already knowing his vehicle was a beauty and definitely lured women into his bed on more than one occasion.

The girls shared a mutual love for classic cars, though Olivia didn’t nearly love old cars as much as Simone. “I agree.” She murmured softly, admiring it from afar, her amber eyes shimmering in the dark as Damon came toward her, a smirk on his sensual lips. ‘Get a GRIP, Olivia!’ She mentally scolded, moving her eyes away from his to look at the mansion, her breath once again stolen. “This place is huge, Damon.”

Smiling, Damon nodded with a modest shrug and extended his hand to her. “Allow me to give you the grand tour, Olivia.”

The sound of her heart pounding again filled Damon’s ears and he had to take a silent breath to control his suddenly hunger. Simone noticed this instantly and smirked, already knowing Damon felt an attraction to her friend, going back to devouring the car with her glittering jade eyes. Hesitantly, Olivia slid her hand into Damon’s and chewed her bottom lip when he hooked it in the crook of his arm, walking past the car.

“By the way, Simone, since you like my car so much, you should see Lockwood’s.” He left her with that tantalizing thought, already to the front door and opened it, letting Olivia step inside first.

Simone was on his trail instantly, wondering what he meant by that, but decided she would find out for herself at a later time. Damon knew that would get her attention and force her to follow them inside, though he wasn’t interested in the ash blonde, eyes solely focused on Olivia. As breathtaking as the outside of the mansion was, Olivia wasn’t prepared for what the inside looked like, her mouth slowly dropping open, completely awestruck.

The entrance was small and bleak with a table set against the right wall, two small lamps on it, along with a small archway that lead to a long corridor. There were three ways a person could go, Olivia observed, drinking in every detail of the mansion. From what Olivia could see, to her right looked to be a dining area in a separate room from the open doorway while to the left the corridor curved to the left, a huge glass bookcase catching her attention.

The corridor had tables and lamps as well along with what looked to be a very expensive long Persian rug, the interior colors consisting of dark brown, mahogany, tan and red. They ended up walking straight ahead into what she could only assume was the living room. The set up was classic and elegant with dark red and brown furniture, tables and more lamps, huge windows with thick dark red curtains that had some kind of golden design on them. However, what captivated Olivia the most was the huge white stone fireplace that was against the far wall in the center of the room, two swords crossed in an X above it with what looked like gargoyle statues on either side.

“Wow…” Olivia breathed, pulling her gaze away from the fireplace to admire the rest of the area, slowly releasing Damon’s hand without realizing it. “This is…”

“Big, I know.” Damon grinned, placing a hand on the small of Olivia’s back and pointing things out with his hand, his long fingers completely graceful. “This is actually the living room and parlor combined.”

Archways somewhat separated each room, definitely putting Olivia’s old family home back in Atlanta to shame. There was a second floor with a balcony that stretched all the way around, old classy chandeliers that looked as though they had tiny lamps on them hanging from the ceilings. To the right was another way to get into the dining area that Olivia spotted in the corridor, looking as though it seated sixteen people comfortably.

“OH MY GOD!!” Simone shrieked dropping her bag on the floor, causing Olivia to jump and watched wide eyed as her friend rushed to the left, her own eyes flying open. “Oh MAN, Livi, come look at these!!” Olivia set her bag down and joined Simone’s side, staring rapt for what seemed like the millionth time in the span of a few minutes.

There was a beautiful dark cherry wood casing full of vintage model cars that were in pristine condition. All different old classic styles, they were polished to shine and left Simone breathless while Olivia just stared in captivation. Damon apparently had a hobby of building vintage model cars, which was definitely a plus in Olivia’s book.

“These are…amazing.” That word didn’t do them justice, but Olivia could hardly think straight, still buzzed from the Mystic Grill. “Did you do these?” She asked, looking over her shoulder at the electric blue eyed god.

“Actually, I did.” A voice sounded from behind both of them, causing both girls and Damon to turn around, staring at another man.

He was different from Damon with dishwater blonde hair that looked almost too perfect and brooding green eyes. He also wore color, unlike Damon; Olivia instantly noticed the difference between them, assuming this the little brother Damon told her about. Glancing over at Simone, Olivia couldn’t help smiling when her friend’s temporary diversion from the cars ended and she was back to ogling them hungrily.

“Brother, you didn’t tell me we were having company.”

“Now Stef, it was a last minute decision.” Damon reasoned with an evil smirk, folding his arms in front of his chest. “Olivia,” He watched as her eyes instantly met his, once again his hand gesturing to the man in question. “This is my little brother, Stefan Salvatore, the one I told you about regarding the house. Brother, this beautiful woman is Olivia Jackson and her equally attractive friend, Simone Turner.”

Stefan smiled warmly and took Olivia’s hand, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of it. “It’s a pleasure to meet both of you.” He did the same to Simone, Damon saying her name sidetracking her from staring at his car collection.

“Thank you, I hope this isn’t an intrusion…” Olivia began, only for Stefan to cut her off by holding up his hand, the smile never leaving his face.

“You are more than welcome to stay here. If my big brother trusts you, then so do I.” Stefan was thankful he had dropped his girlfriend off at home before coming here, wondering what Damon had planned with these two. “Ladies, would you excuse me while I speak to my brother privately for a moment?”

They were so cordial, Olivia had to wonder if they were from a different era and went back to looking at the car collection with Simone, not realizing just how close to the truth her thoughts were. Damon scowled, once Olivia’s back was turned to him and rolled his eyes as Stefan, wondering what was so important it couldn’t wait until later. He practically stalked out of the living room/parlor, standing in the hallway impatiently with narrowed chilled eyes.

“This better be important.” He demanded icily, folding his arms in front of his chest and couldn’t stop glaring shrewdly at Stefan.

“What the hell are you planning with them?” Stefan demanded in a hushed tone, shoving Damon none too gently in the shoulder, his own eyes narrowed. “Have you lost your damn mind? Killing is not a smart thing to do right now and you know that!”

As usual, little brother was jumping to conclusions and Damon was tempted to kill the women just to spite him. “You really have no faith in me, do you?” His tone was full of mocked hurt, placing a hand over his chest. “I didn’t bring them here to feed, though the thought did cross my mind a few times. They’re here for a reason, Stef. They’re from out of town, newcomers, and I offered to let them stay here so I keep an eye on them until I figure out what they’re up to.”

“What makes you think they’re up to anything, Damon?” Stefan grunted, trying to push down the sudden guilt he felt from accusing his brother of bringing them home for dinner. “Not all newcomers are dangerous.”

“Stefan, think about it. How many newcomers have come into Mystic Falls recently and ended up trying to axe us?” Damon shot back, keeping his voice down while the girls continued clamoring in the other room over the cars.

Stefan opened his mouth to respond, but honestly he couldn’t argue with Damon’s logic. “Alright fine, point made.” He grunted, running a hand through his hair hastily. “How long are they staying and which one do you have your eye on, just so I’m aware?”

Snorting, Damon clapped him on the shoulder, an evil smirk curving his lips. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” His blue eyes sparked with wicked intentions, already having a few things in mind he would love to do to Olivia. “Just for tonight, though I’m going to persuade them to stay longer.” Even though Olivia was wearing vervain, which he wasn’t telling his brother about; Damon didn’t smell any traces of it on Simone.

Stefan eyed his brother skeptically, eyebrows drawing together. “What aren’t you telling me?” He demanded, wondering if Damon would tell him the truth for once since he already knew.

Damn it, Stefan had a heightened sense when it came to scents and Damon knew he couldn’t lie to him. “The auburn.” He mumbled, gritting his teeth.

“What about Olivia?” Stefan used her name, having an excellent memory.

“She’s wearing vervain.” Damon was suddenly austere, a pensive expression crossing his face. “It’s in her necklace. I tried compelling her earlier at the grill because I didn’t smell it on her right away, until she asked me what was wrong with my eyes. What if she knows about us, Stefan?”

Stefan frowned, his expression reflecting Damon’s, both brothers looking into the doorway at the girls in question. “Interesting…” He murmured in contemplation, slowly turning his eyes back to his brother. “What about the other one?”

“Nope, just Olivia.” Even her name set his blood on fire; Damon definitely had to have her before he either let her go or killed her, depending on the reason for their visit. “I’m going to compel Simone into convincing Olivia to stay here for a few days while I do some investigating. She’s got a thing for the Lockwood kid.”

“Tyler?” Stefan blinked, wondering when that happened.

“She was all over him at the grill and he wants her as well.” Suddenly, a simpering smile crossed Damon’s face, eyes flaring as a light bulb went off in his head. “And I know how we’re going to use that to our advantage.”

“Damon…” Stefan warned, not liking where his big brother’s demented mind was going.

“Relax brother; I was going to compel her into telling me the reason they’re here, but why do that when we can have our own spy?” Damon grinned malevolently, leaving Stefan with that thought as he headed back into the room to join the women.

Damon wanted to use Tyler Lockwood as a spy? They hated each other and for a very good reason, though they kept their distance. Both wanted to live in Mystic Falls, so they had to coexist and be civil whenever they were around each other, having a lot of the same friends. Even though Damon claimed he had no friends, Stefan didn’t believe that for a second, especially with the bromance he had going on with Alaric Saltzman, who was Mystic Falls High School history teacher and his girlfriend’s aunt’s current boyfriend.

‘I really hope this doesn’t blow up in our faces.’ Stefan thought, pulling his cell phone out and headed down the hallway around the corner to the staircase that lead up to some of the bedrooms, his in particular. “Hey, it’s me. When you get this, call me back. We have a problem.”

Damon didn’t bother the girls while they continued admiring the different aspects of the mansion, pouring a tumbler of bourbon and sipped it thoughtfully, eyes solely on Olivia. She was incredibly beautiful, her auburn hair having little highlights of gold and different reds throughout it. He wondered if it was a dye job or the real deal, if the curtain matched the carpet, a carnal grin crossing his face.

All he wanted to do was wrap his fingers in her soft hair, bend her over spread eagle and claim her in every way possible. Grunting, Damon was suddenly thankful for his tight jeans because they currently cut off circulation to his rising problem, deciding to take care of that in the shower. He wondered if there was some way he could convince Olivia to help him with the problem, swallowing down the rest of his drink and decided it was time to call it a night.

“You ladies ready to turn in?” Damon asked, watching as Olivia turned around with those golden eyes of hers, the smile she sported making her even more radiant if that was possible.

“Yeah…” Suddenly, Olivia was nervous as she stepped away from Simone, clasping her hands behind her back. “Would it be too much to ask if we shared a room together? It’s a strange new place and we’d be more comfortable that way.”

“Of course, Olivia, anything you want.” Damon smiled, taking her hand and brushed his lips across the back of it lingeringly, his somewhat now darkened eyes locking with hers.

Olivia felt breathless while Simone was completely oblivious to the heated look Damon was currently fixating on her friend. “Simone, Damon is gonna show us our room.” She reached behind her with her free hand, shocks flittering throughout her body by the simple touch of his lips against her hand and he dropped it just as Simone turned from the cars.

Grabbing both of their bags, Simone joined them seconds later, yawning. “Lead the way.”

Simone grinned, wrapping her free arm around Olivia and both followed Damon out into the hallway. Heading around the corner to the left where a master staircase was, another room on the right leading somewhere else, Olivia followed Damon up the stairs and suddenly clasped Simone’s hand. She was nervous, not ashamed to admit it and looked around once they were on the second floor, Damon walking down another long corridor before pushing open a door for them.

“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to holler.” Damon said charmingly, stopping Olivia from walking in after Simone, his eyes once again burning into hers. “Pleasant dreams, Olivia.” He rumbled, tone barely containing the desire that presently flooded his body.

“You too, Damon.” She whispered, watching him walk away from the door and closed it behind her, both of them getting ready for bed.

As soon as Olivia’s head in the pillow, she was out like a light with dreams of smoldering electric blue eyes.

Chapter 6

The first one up the next morning was Simone as she showered and dressed in a black denim jean skirt with a deep red halter top that hugged her curves nicely. She swept her hair up in a bun on top of her head and stuck two black chopsticks in it to hold the wet tresses in place before tiptoeing out of the room. Olivia was exhausted, that much was clear, and she didn’t want to disrupt her friend’s slumber.

Heading down the stairs, Simone padded barefoot down the hallway and turned the corner, nearly running into Damon. “Oh jeez, I’m so sorry!” She gasped, stumbling back and pressed a hand over her rapid beating heart.

Damon smiled at her warmly, waving it off dismissively. “No harm done, Simone.” His electric blue eyes swept over her to make sure she wasn’t hurt, since he wasn’t exactly human, and could snap her like a twig with ease. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Simone assured him with a smile, clearing her throat awkwardly. “Livi is still sleeping and I didn’t want to wake her up, so I decided to come down here. Is there anything to eat?” Dumb question probably, but Simone wasn’t just going to ransack the kitchen just because she was hungry.

“Of course.” Damon extended his arm in a pure gentlemanly fashion, grinning. “I’ll show you.” As beautiful as Simone was, -she was actually the choice Damon usually went for- there was something about Olivia he couldn’t ignore, her beauty exceeding Simone’s in his vision.

Simone looped her arm through his and began walking down the hallway with him, admiring the interior of the mansion once again. The kitchen was no exception and could fit possibly three of hers into it, even though Simone wasn’t exactly hurting for money. This was extravagant though and she had to wonder why and how two young men such as Damon and Stefan acquired this superlative piece of property.

After a breakfast of eggs, toast and hash browns, Simone felt much better, making polite conversation with Damon the entire time. He asked where she was from and there was no reason to lie to him, having no reason not to trust him. If she only knew. Damon was becoming frustrated when Simone flat out refused to mention anything about Olivia, wanting to know about the golden eyed goddess currently sleeping upstairs, but didn’t want to seem palpable about it. When Simone mentioned them leaving as soon as Olivia woke up, Damon was prepared for it and decided to go through with his original plan.

‘Screw it.’ He thought, suddenly locking electric blue eyes on jade and could feel the compulsion working, unlike it did with Olivia. “Simone, you are going to tell Olivia that you want to stay here for a few more days because you like it here and you don’t want to stay in a shabby hotel. You feel comfortable here and you’re going to do everything in your power to persuade Olivia to stay here until whatever business you have here is done. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I will persuade Olivia to stay here. I am comfortable. I like it here and I don’t want to stay in a shabby hotel.” Simone replied in a trance, her voice catatonic.

Damon grinned, patting her shoulders. “One more thing, you will plant the thought of me in Olivia’s head. How smart, sexy and sweet I am. Do you understand, Simone?”

“I will plant thoughts in Olivia’s head about how smart, sexy and sweet you are.” That same catatonic voice responded, no emotion on Simone’s face, her arms hanging loosely at her sides.

“Good girl, we never had this conversation and you found the kitchen on your own. You never saw me this morning.”

Simone blinked and she was alone in the kitchen, looking around for a few seconds before heading back upstairs to see if Olivia was awake.

~!~

When Tyler Lockwood received a call from Stefan Salvatore, of all people, requesting a meeting, he was more than a little cautious. Granted, he didn’t have a problem with Stefan, but Damon was a completely different story. They both shared a litany of animosity that fueled their inner fires because of their different species.

Much like Damon and Stefan, Tyler wasn’t human and possessed a supernatural gift, or in his eyes, a curse that bound him to the moon. Every full moon, Tyler shifted into a werewolf, breaking every bone in his body, against his will. It was the Lockwood Curse, one he triggered a few years ago when he was eighteen at one of his mother’s masquerade charity balls she throws a few times a year at the mansion.

Tyler had been drinking with a few of his friends, acting stupid and reckless, even though he knew about the curse, thanks to his Uncle Mason. He was dancing with a girl he went to school with named Sarah, while Matt Donovan danced with her friend Aimee Bradley, in a private room of the mansion. The dancing turned a little too playful and the guys started wrestling around with each other, the girls watching on cheering.

For a reason Tyler still didn’t know to this day, Sarah ended up jumping on his back, apparently wanting in on the roughhousing. His back was to Matt, so naturally Tyler thought it was a sneak attack and didn’t know his own strength at the time. Tyler ended up performing a snapmare over his shoulder and Sarah’s head collided with the edge of the desk in the room, snapping her neck and killing her instantly.

Taking the life of someone automatically triggered the Lockwood Curse.

It was natural for werewolves and vampires to hate each other, even though Tyler believed they were capable of coexisting as long as they stayed out of each other’s way. Werewolves could be severely incapacitated with an herb called wolfsbane, but other than that they were almost impossible to kill. Either extraction of the heart or head decapitation was the only way to kill a werewolf…that and they only had full use of their power on a full moon. During the rest of the time, werewolves still possessed their strength and speed, but it still made them extremely vulnerable and easy prey.

However, as dangerous as vampires were to werewolves, just one bite or snip from a werewolf’s teeth and it was fatal to a vampire.

Sighing heavily, Tyler ran a hand through his hair as he clapped his hands, urging the football team to hustle a little more while giving them encouragement. Mystic Falls had never seen a more dedicated young man devoted to sports as much as Tyler was. Because of his impeccable coaching skills, Mystic Falls had won championships in baseball, wrestling and baseball, all top ranking in both state and national.

“Alright guys, that’s enough for today. Great job!” Tyler called out, clapping each of his players on the back while they hurried past him to the showers.

No doubt they would be champions this year, especially if Tyler had his way, a grin spreading on his face. After the final player was off the field, all of the hairs on the back of Tyler’s neck stood up, the air permeated with an all too unwelcome scent that filled his nostrils. Squaring his shoulders, Tyler turned around and came face to face with the Salvatore brothers.

“Hello wolf.” Damon greeted evenly, arms folded in front of his chest and growled when Stefan immediately stood in-between them.

“Damon, we didn’t come here to fight with him.” Stefan scolded, shaking his head and looked back at Tyler apologetically. “You didn’t respond to my voicemail I left on your cell, so we decided to come pay you a visit.”

“There’s a reason I didn’t answer your voicemail, Stefan.” Tyler stated squarely, not taking his eyes off of either vampire. “I’m not interested in anything you have to say.”

“See, that’s where you’re wrong, wolf.” Damon really wished his brother would just let him put Tyler Lockwood out of his misery, eyes icing over.

“Shut up, Damon, or he’s not going to help us. You said you’d let me handle this and you’d keep your mouth shut. Are you going back on your word, brother?” He demanded, holding his finger up in a one second gesture to Tyler, turning to face Damon.

“Correction, Stef, I told you I’d tag along and keep my mouth shut IF he cooperated. This does not sound like cooperation.” Damon retorted with a derisive snort, folding his arms in front of his chest.

Damon could be impossible to deal and work with at times, like now. “Ignore him, Tyler. Listen, I know you’re aware that two young women have recently come into Mystic Falls and we know one of them really likes you.” He watched as Tyler’s dark eyes narrowed slightly, holding his hands up in defense. “Hey, I’m not trying to anger you. Damon noticed your interaction with the ash blonde named Simone and she seems to trust you. With the visitors that have come into Mystic Falls lately, we don’t know if we can trust them until we find out their reason for being here.”

“That’s where you come in.” Damon piped in, stepping up to stand alongside his brother with that cold smile back on his face.

Tyler looked from one Salvatore to the other, finally sighing resignedly because, as much as he hated admitting it, Stefan had a point. There had been way too many unwelcome visitors coming into Mystic Falls lately and this was his home, his land to protect, just as much as it was theirs. They all loved this place and refused to let strangers come in to try ripping it away from them.

“What do you need me to do?” Figuring it wouldn’t hurt to hear them out, Tyler suddenly stopped Stefan from talking when one of his players, Tommy, came walking out on the field.

“Coach! Come quick, Teddy’s down!” Tommy called frantically, panting from how fast he was running with a deep frown on his face. “He just collapsed…”

Tyler cursed, nodding and looked back at the brothers. “Meet me at the grill in an hour.” That was all he said as he jogged with Tommy back to the showers, listening as the boy informed him of what happened.

“Well congratulations on totally screwing THAT up, Stefan. Well done.” Damon grunted, clapping his brother sardonically on the back and shook his head in disgust, storming off the field heading to his car.

What made Damon think this was over when Tyler clearly told them to meet him at the grill? Was his brother’s hearing going? Stefan couldn’t stop the smirk curving his lips and followed his contemptuous brother, shaking his head. He slid in the passenger seat of the Camaro, watching as Damon sucked down a blood bag and rolled his eyes, not saying a word.

“Feel better?” Stefan questioned when Damon tossed the empty blood bag in the backseat before firing up the ignition, looking over at him expectantly. “You can be mad all you want, but Tyler actually cares about his teams unlike the other coaches this high school has had.”

“Like I give a damn.” Damon snapped, not in the mood for a lecture and wished that blood bag was a human so he could take his frustrations out. “The only thing I DO give a damn about is finding out why Olivia and her little spitfire friend have come to Mystic Falls. That’s it.” If Lockwood didn’t show up at the grill like he said he would, Damon would rip his heart from his chest and not think twice about it.

Stefan couldn’t help chortling, shaking his head and looked out the window. “Damon, have you ever heard of the expression catching more flies with honey?” He asked inquisitively, trying like hell to keep the humor out of his tone, but it was hopeless.

Damon scowled over at his brother, tempted to beat the hell out of him on principle for that asinine question. “You can also catch them with feces, which is exactly what Tyler Lockwood is to me. A big stinking pile of…” Stefan’s phone cut Damon off, his scowl deepening.

“Hey, I can’t talk long. What’s up?”

Damon tuned him out, knowing Stefan was talking to his girlfriend Elena and focused on the road, Olivia Jackson suddenly entering his mind. She was definitely a fresh drink of water, delectable from head to toe and had an incredible body. It was a shame that he couldn’t delve into her mind because of the vervain in her necklace, but there was always ways around that.

He already had several scenarios in mind, all of them ending with that rare delicacy in his bed with him buried to the hilt inside of her body, tasting her blood. He could feel the tightening of his jeans at the thought of what she tasted like, not able to stop running his tongue along his bottom lip. No matter her reasoning for being in Mystic Falls, Damon was determined and vowed to have her at least once before she either left their town or was killed for deception.

“Focus, Damon.” Stefan chided with a smirk, flipping his phone shut and slipped it in his pocket. “Elena says hi.”

Damon didn’t respond, though he flashed a wicked grin in his brother’s direction. “I’m more than focused, brother, I assure you.” It was his turn to chuckle when Stefan groaned, pulling in front of the grill a few minutes later and cut the ignition. “I need a drink.”

“Always.” Stefan muttered, both of them stepping out and headed inside, going straight for the bar where Bonnie currently was.

This wasn’t Damon’s day, at all. First he had to deal with an unbearable wolf and now here was this judgmental witch who loathed him as much as he did her. Sliding on the barstool, Damon smiled serenely in her direction, hoping for her sake she played nice. Bonnie Bennett had hurt him a few times with her powers in the past, but Damon wasn’t above ripping her head off or her heart out.

“What are you two doing here?” Bonnie asked, directing her question to Stefan, staring at him intently.

“We’re meeting Tyler here.” There was no point in lying to Bonnie as Stefan entwined his fingers together on top the bar counter. “Can I get a soda please?”

“Of course.” Bonnie wondered what they had to talk to Tyler about, reluctantly turning her dark eyes to Damon, knowing it would be rude customer service if she didn’t serve him. “And you?”

“Bourbon.” Damon answered, raising a brow in surprise that the witch was actually being cordial to him. “Make it a double, judgy.” He normally called her witchy, but only when he knew prying ears weren’t eavesdropping.

“Right away, jackass.” Smiling sweetly, Bonnie walked away from both of them to serve someone else first deliberately.

“Now is that anyway to talk to a customer?” Damon chastised, glancing at his little brother, who looked thoroughly amused.

Stefan didn’t respond and smiled wider when Bonnie slid a glass of soda in his direction, sipping it while Damon stewed over having to wait for his beverage. “I don’t think she likes you.” He stage whispered, green eyes glittering, assiduously enjoying his brother’s displeasure.

“My name is Bonnie.” She informed Damon coolly; hating the coarse nicknames he gave her and wished he would just use her name.

Damon took the bourbon from her, swallowed down half of it and stood up with a sneer. “No, judgy.” Winking, he walked away from the bar just as Tyler walked in, having heard him a mile away and was already on his way to greet him.

Cursing, Stefan quickly rushed after Damon, not wanting a scene caused in the Mystic Grill.

Chapter 7

“Surprised you actually came, wolf.” Damon grunted, cutting straight to the chase and gestured Tyler to the table over in the café part of the grill. “Time to finish our chat.”

Tyler nodded stiffly, stepping back to let Damon walk ahead of him, refusing to turn his back on this vampire for a second. “After you, vamp.” He said quietly, lips compressed in one thin grim line, needing to make this quick so he could go visit his football player that was rushed to the hospital.

Snorting, Damon had to give Tyler Lockwood credit. Wolf boy wasn’t as stupid as he thought, but that still didn’t mean Damon was going to turn his back on him. He didn’t care if they were in a public place, Damon didn’t trust easily, especially his natural born enemy. They both stood there staring each other down, eyes narrowed, when Stefan finally joined them.

“Thank you for meeting us, Tyler.” Stefan said softly and walked past both of them to show he wasn’t afraid and trusted Tyler.

“After you.” Tyler said again, this time with a little more edge in his voice, tightening his jaw.

Instead, Damon never took his eyes from Tyler and backtracked to a nearby table that was in the middle of the grill, but close enough to the exit in case this didn’t go well. Stefan sighed exasperated when he saw what Damon was doing and reluctantly joined when Tyler sat down at the table. He understood Damon’s apprehension when it came to Tyler Lockwood, but if they were going to work together as team, they had to trust each other. That was definitely going to be easier said than done.

“I have to make this quick. My kid ended up being taken to the hospital and I have to go check on him.” Tyler informed both of them, swallowing down the worry for Teddy, who was the current quarterback of the football team.

“Did they give you a reason why he collapsed?” Stefan asked with mild concern, leaning back against the chair and ignored Damon’s irritated expression.

“They think he was dehydrated, which I don’t understand because I make my boys drink at least a gallon of water at every practice.” Tyler knew how strenuous football was, especially in the grueling heat they were currently experiencing and took all the necessary precautions. “I think it might be drugs, honestly, and if it is he’s done.”

“Can we stop making idle chit-chat and get on with this?” Damon growled, interrupting their conversation with flashing ice blue eyes. “We have our own problems to deal with and have things to do.”

Stefan glared at his brother’s audacity, itching to pop him upside the head for his rude behavior. “As we told you on the field, we need your help in regards to Simone.” Maybe this would make Damon happier or at least a little more at ease.

“What exactly do you need me to do?” Tyler quirked his eyebrow, folding his arms in front of his chest, sounding confused. “Yeah, we talked for a little bit, but I know nothing about this girl.”

“But you like her.” Damon pointed out tersely, daring Tyler to deny it and lie to them. “She was all over you last night and you didn’t exactly push her away.”

Tyler was tempted to sock Damon right in the face, reigning in his own temper. “Hey, she was a beautiful woman making a pass at me. I’m a man, I’m not about to push away any opportunity to get laid.” He defended, clenching his teeth, every muscle in his body tensed.

“What my brother is trying to say is you had a connection with her and she trusts you.” Stefan intervened in a polite tone, wishing Damon would just sit there and be quiet before he pissed Tyler off. “All we want you to do is take her out on a date. One date. Ask her questions and see if you can’t get the truth out of her about why they’re here. We really don’t want to use compulsion on her until we’ve exhausted all of our options.” Though Damon had already that morning, unbeknownst to Stefan.

What little brother didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him, Damon thought smugly, tapping his fingers against the side of his glass. “She’ll spill to you, wolf boy. Look, we both want the same thing here. We want to protect our town. As much as we may hate each other, and believe me I do hate you because of what you are, I’m willing to work with you in order to settle this. Just find out why she’s here, that’s all you have to do. Relay the information back to us and we’ll handle it from there. And, think of it this way, you’ll probably end up getting laid, which is what you want anyway.”

It sounded almost too simple the way Damon explained it, which unnerved Tyler to say the least. “Why don’t you want to use your mind control on her to find out the easy way?” He had to ask; his curiosity peaked and stared astutely across the table at Damon.

“Because there’s a chance they might not be hiding anything and we don’t want to tamper with their minds unless there’s no other choice.” Stefan said simply, wondering if maybe this was a mistake getting Tyler Lockwood involved.

“What makes you think she’ll even go on a date with me?”

For all he knew, this beautiful ash blonde could’ve been screwing with him, even though that’s not what it felt like. Tyler had a hard time forgetting the feeling of her body pressed against his as he bent over her, showing her how to play pool. The smell of her scent intoxicated him, a sweet aroma of some kind of flower, though Tyler couldn’t pinpoint it. He could smell the sun on her beautiful tanned skin, everything about her warm and inviting, though he would never admit any of this to the Salvatore’s.

Smirking wickedly, Damon leaned on the table with a knowing gleam in his eyes. “Because she wants you.” He’d taken a quick peak around Simone Turner’s mind the previous night, after she was asleep, and it was filled of nothing except Tyler Lockwood. “If you’re going to believe anything I say, believe that, wolf boy.”

Tyler somehow believed what Damon told him was the truth and, if that was the case, who was he to disappoint a beautiful woman? “Fine.” He grunted, pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket and set it on the table. “That’s her number. She gave it to me last night and I was planning on calling her today after the practice was over.”

“So you were going to ask her out even before we approached you?” Stefan asked, mildly amused when Tyler nodded and chuckled, clapping the man on the back lightly. “Good play, Tyler.”

Damon was not amused, wanting to rip this wolf’s head off and be done with that. “Just find out why she’s here. I’m sure in that puny brain of yours, you can remember that much.” Standing abruptly, Damon swallowed down the rest of his bourbon before slamming it down on the table, stalking out of the grill to his car.

Stefan could walk home for all he cared.

“Don’t mind him; he’s on edge because of the girls.” Stefan said, his way of apologizing on his brother’s behalf. “Thanks for doing this and good luck with Simone.”

“Something tells me they’re not here to cause trouble, at least from what I could tell.” Tyler said, thankful Damon was gone because now he could talk to Stefan privately. “If they were up to something, they wouldn’t have exposed themselves out in the open like they did. I didn’t smell any apprehension or fear from Simone either, she was perfectly calm, cool and collected around me. So either she’s a damn good actress or they’re not a threat.”

Tyler had a keen sense, much like the Salvatore’s, because of their enhanced supernatural abilities. “I agree with you, but you know how Damon is. If he doesn’t get answers soon, he’ll start doing things his way and I don’t want those girls hurt.” Stefan was doing this for their benefit, refusing to shed any more innocent human blood if he could help it.

“I’ll find out what’s going on.” Looking down at his watch, Tyler cursed and stood up brusquely, cutting their conversation short. “I have to go check on Teddy. I’ll call you if I find anything out.”

“Good, thanks again Tyler and I hope your kid is alright.” Stefan said, standing as well, needing to go inform his girlfriend on what was going on as they both exited the grill.

~!~

Olivia sat downstairs in the living room/parlor in front of the fireplace, staring into the flames thoughtfully, a cup of coffee in her hand. She wore black fleece pajama pants with a short sleeved dark pink top that had a black design splashed on the front. Simone was outside enjoying the beautiful day, not realizing Olivia had gotten up after sleeping nearly thirteen hours straight. It was late afternoon and Olivia felt guilty because she hadn’t meant to sleep that long, thankful she only had a small headache to contend with as far as a hangover went.

All she could think about was how to go about finding the Sommers family, if they were even in Mystic Falls. Olivia refused to get her hopes up about this, her entire world tipped upside down within the span of a week. It was sad how, in the blink of an eye, someone’s life could change so vastly without warning. Olivia closed her eyes at the thought of her parents buried six feet under and wiped a stray tear away from her cheek as soon as it escaped.

Simone took that opportunity to walk back inside the mansion and stopped at the sight of Olivia, the smile on her face instantly replaced with a frown. “Livi, are you okay?” As soon as the tears began falling, Simone was beside her a second later, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “It’s okay, sweetie…”

“No it’s not.” Olivia stood up from her, setting the cup of coffee down and angrily wiped her tears away. “I hate feeling like this, Sim. I hate feeling incomplete! My parents are dead and they’re not coming back! Now I’m in this strange town, in this strange house with two guys we don’t even know! What the hell are we doing? We never should’ve left Atlanta…”

Simone knew this was Olivia’s way of grieving and her fear once again taking over about tracking down her biological family. “Livi, what happened to your parents was devastating, but that’s not your fault and you can’t keep feeling guilty. I know that’s what this all boils down too. You weren’t there when the house exploded. You were in town while they were in the house and you feel like you should’ve died with them.” Cupping Olivia’s face in her hands, Simone forced her tear-filled amber eyes to meet determined jade. “I’m not going to let you give up, do you hear me? You came here for answers and we’re getting them one way or another, there’s no backing out of this. And no more feeling guilty about your parents’ death because it’s NOT your fault.”

Olivia loved Simone because she was the only person who had kept her grounded and sane throughout the past week. “I don’t know what I would do without you, Sim.” She hugged her best friend tightly, sniffling and let a few more tears escape.

“I know, Livi. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you died in that fire with them. You’re my only friend, the only person who can deal with my hyper blunt ass. You don’t judge me either, which is something a lot of people do. I’m so glad you didn’t die with them.” Something suddenly triggered in Simone’s mind, causing her to pull back to wipe Olivia’s tears away. “And what’s so wrong with being in this gorgeous mansion anyway with two good looking men? Granted, they’re not Tyler Lockwood good looking, but you get my drift. And don’t think for a second I didn’t notice the chemistry between you and Damon Salvatore, missy.”

Olivia flushed, dropping her eyes from Simone and turned around to go retrieve her coffee. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She mumbled, trying to get her cheeks to stop growing hot.

“Oh whatever, you can’t tell me you don’t find him attractive!” Simone crowed, following Olivia as she began walking around the living room/parlor. “You can fool a lot of people, Livi, but you keep forgetting I know you better than anyone. I’ve known you since we were in diapers for Christ sakes! You can’t stand there and tell me you don’t want to get in Damon’s pants.”

“Simone!” Olivia groaned, really not wanting to have this conversation, even though it was a nice diversion away from her morbid thinking regarding her parents. “What time do you want to head out of here?”

“I was going to talk to you about that.” For some odd reason, Simone didn’t want to leave this place. “Look, why should we go pay for a crappy hotel room when we have this gorgeous mansion to stay in? I don’t know about you, Livi, but there’s no possible way the hotel beds are like the one we slept in last night. Let’s just stay for a few more days. I’m sure Damon wouldn’t mind, especially since he wants you.”

Olivia’s jaw dropped, hardly believing what Simone was saying and could feel her cheeks burning by now. “No he doesn’t.” She grumbled, wishing she was a better liar because even she felt the electricity between them the previous night. “He’s way out of my league anyway and I’m not here to plant roots. I’m here to find my biological family, get answers and then go back to Atlanta. Besides, we’ve intruded on the Salvatore’s long enough, don’t you think?”

“Okay first of all, there’s a difference between having sex for fun and planting roots. Granted, Damon isn’t my type, but that man has one HELL of a body on him. You need a distraction and he could be the perfect one, Livi, someone to take your frustrations out on. He’s smart, sweet and sexy. Why not just go there and throw caution to the wind?” Simone planted her hands on her hips, knowing she was right in everything she said, a sagaciously smirk crossing her face.

“I’m not a horn ball and don’t have sex just for fun, unlike SOME people.” Olivia shot back, though there was no malice in her tone, finding this amusing.

“Fine, fair enough, but just admit that he’s hot and you want him. I’ll leave you alone about it if you do.” Simone compromised with glittering jade eyes, laughing at how exasperated Olivia was.

“You are impossible.” She griped, finishing off the rest of her coffee and knew Simone wouldn’t leave her alone about this until she did. “Fine, he’s hot and I want him. I want him to just toss me over his shoulders and take me in every way possible. There, satisfied?”

“Much, thanks.” Simone grinned, wrapping an arm around Olivia’s shoulders and both girls had a good hearty laugh. “Now then, how about we talk to the brothers and see if there’s any way we can negotiate staying here for a couple more days? We could pay them if it’ll make you feel better so you don’t feel like we’re ‘intruding’.”

Olivia eyed her friend skeptically, pulling away to fully face her. “Why are you so adamant about staying here?” She asked inquisitively, tilting her head slightly.

Simone shrugged, not really understanding why she wanted to stay here either, but something in her brain was screaming at her to stay. “I feel comfortable here and I like this place. It’s got that old worldly classy feeling you know? And there’s so much room, unlike a shabby hotel that we’d be holed up in. Not to mention, it’s in Mystic Falls and we’re close enough to where we won’t have to keep driving and wasting gas just to do our investigation.” Those were all points well-made and Simone was pleased when Olivia couldn’t argue with any of them.

Olivia groaned, hating when Simone became the voice reason and finally tossed her hands up in the air. “Fine, alright, but ONLY if they agree to take money from us. I’m not becoming a freeloader. If they don’t agree to take money, we’re leaving.”

Grinning, Simone nodded in full agreement and was glad Olivia was on board with this. “Deal, now go get dressed so we can go out for a few hours, get some fresh air.” She ordered, pushing Olivia in the direction of the hallway, already dressed and ready for day one of Operation Sommers.

Chapter 8

Just as Olivia came barreling down the stairs to leave with Simone, she ran into Damon on the second set of stairs, immediately feeling butterflies erupt in her stomach. Did this man look breathtaking all the time or was that just her libido talking? The way the buttoned up midnight blue shirt he wore stretched across the expanse of his chest, the collar perfectly creased around his neck and the first few top buttons undone, took Olivia’s breath away.

The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and Damon wore a pair of black jeans that hugged him in all the right places, but they weren’t skintight. His hair had that sexy wild look to it and Olivia really wanted to run her fingers through it once, just to see if it was as soft to the touch as it looked. Simone was right; he was definitely sexy and sweet. Anyone who opened their home up to two complete strangers, without thinking twice about it, had at least a few sweet bones in their body.

“Hello Olivia.” Damon greeted, breaking the silence between them and couldn’t help admiring her outfit.

How could a woman make a simple pair of jeans and yellow baby doll look so libidinous? Her beautiful auburn hair hung down her back in loose damp waves, fresh out of the shower, and he could smell her body wash. Mangos…it was intoxicating and made him hungry, wondering if her blood tasted as wonderful as her scent.

“Hi…” Olivia replied softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and felt as if her feet were cemented to the stairs.

“Heading out?” Damon wondered if his compulsion had worked on Simone, quickly noticing Olivia only had her purse and fought back a smirk.

There was no way she could ask Damon to stay here in exchange for money, could she? Olivia had never been put in this type of predicament before and was annoyed that she couldn’t think straight around this man. A deal was a deal, she couldn’t go back on her agreement with Simone and took a long shaky intake of breath, clearing her throat.

“Yes, but I’m glad I ran into you first.” Damn it, her cheeks were already starting to burn because that did not come out right.

“Oh?” Damon took a step closer to her and could hear how fast Olivia’s heart rate picked up, his eyes locking with hers. “What did you need, Olivia?”

Instinctively, Olivia backed up and could feel her knees trembling, not able to pull her gaze away from his hypnotic beautiful aquamarine eyes, her own wide. “I-I…I mean we, Simone and I, wanted to ask you and your brother something. W-We have a proposition we’d like to offer both of you.” Oh MAN, Olivia was sticking her foot in her mouth and nearly melted in a pile of mush when Damon smirked at her.

Instantaneously, Damon’s eyes instantly turned darker and cloudy, taking another step. Olivia was thankful the stairs were big and wide enough to where she had room to backtrack without falling down. Damon knew he had to play this smart because the way Olivia stared at him with those wide amber eyes full of desire and fear was extremely delectable. As much as Damon wanted her, Olivia had to get over the fear first and she would, time would take care of that along with being around him more.

“What kind of proposition?” He asked, trying like hell to keep the huskiness out of his voice and failed miserably, the tone lower than normal.

His look was smoldering and Olivia felt as though she couldn’t breathe, feeling her back hit something hard, which was the wall. The way his voice dropped an octave or two instantly spoke volumes between Olivia’s legs and she had to fight the urge to clamp her thighs together. Damon suddenly consumed her, hovering over her with each forearm pressed against the wall above her head, boxing her in and their eye contact never broke.

“Talk to me, Olivia.”

“It’s hard to do so when you’re this close to me.” She confessed in a breathy whisper, completely glued against the wall and couldn’t run away even if her life depended on it.

Damon left plenty of room for her to break away, her confession lighting his blood ablaze and had to fight down the overwhelming impulse to kiss her. “Breathe, Olivia, you’re fine. I won’t hurt you.” Not until he found out the truth of why she was in Mystic Falls, then all bets were off. Placing his hands on her shoulders, Damon felt her entire body tense briefly before relaxing, a gentle smile replacing the smirk. “How about we go down to the library and discuss this proposition?”

“You have a library?” Olivia asked; momentarily jolted out of her desire filled anxiety, amber eyes sparkling when he nodded.

“Let me show you.”

Damon stepped back and offered his arm to her, the sight of her face lit up making him want her further. Olivia didn’t hesitate, eager to see exactly what kind of library this magnificent place held and looped her arm through his, both of them descending the stairs. A high pitched squeal made both of them freeze on the first flight of stairs as Simone came flying down the hallway, the biggest grin on her face. Damon had instinctively pushed Olivia behind him and was tempted to rip Simone’s throat out, eyes narrowed.

“LIVI!!” Simone stopped short at the sight of her best friend on the stairs arm in arm with Damon, the grin widening if possible. “You’ll NEVER guess who just called me while I was waiting for you!”

“Mr. Hot Stuff Gym Teacher?” Olivia smirked when Simone glowed, releasing Damon’s arm to walk down the rest of the stairs to meet her.

“His name is Tyler and yes it was him. He wants to take me out tonight. I know we were supposed to go out and paint the town red.” That was a lie, though Simone was a master at doing it. “But momma has NEEDS…”

Olivia couldn’t help laughing at her, covering her mouth with her hand to try stifling it and failed miserably. “So you want to run out on me all so you can get laid?” She demanded, trying to sound disconcerted, but the smile on her face gave her away completely.

“Yeah…I PROMISE we’ll do our thing tomorrow…” Simone trailed off, glancing at Damon behind her friend, wondering if Olivia had asked Damon about what they discussed earlier.

“I’m going to talk to him about it right now.” Olivia said, reading her mind and peeked over her shoulder at Damon quickly before looking back at Simone again. “I suppose I could let you go out, have fun with a hot gym teacher and get laid. But ONLY for one night.”

“Yes ma’am.” Simone saluted, desperately trying to remain serious and both girls erupted in laughter, embracing. “Okay I have to go get ready. He’s picking me up in an hour and my hair looks BAD.”

“I’ll keep her company.” Damon assured and let out a low whistle when Simone practically flew up the stairs past him, reminding him of the Looney Tunes cartoon character Road-Runner. “That girl can move…” He commented, looking back at Olivia, who simply smiled serenely back at him.

“You should see her when we go shopping. I had to RUN to keep up with her and my legs hurt for a week afterwards.” Olivia said, watching as Damon joined her once more and their arms linked together. “You don’t have to keep me company tonight, Damon. I know you probably have more important things to do.”

“Actually I don’t and I wouldn’t offer to keep you company if I didn’t want to, Olivia.” Damon replied truthfully, taking a few steps before turning left into an open doorway. “I don’t do anything I don’t want to do.”

Damon had to admit the wolf boy had immaculate timing and was quick in making things happen. Olivia was vulnerable and Damon planned on taking full advantage of it, hoping he could squeeze the truth out of her. Something told him in the back of his mind not to underestimate her though. She was innocent and pure, but behind those incredible amber eyes was a hell cat waiting to be unleashed, or so he assumed.

As soon as they walked into the library, Olivia halted, forcing Damon to do so while she looked around in pure marvel. It was astonishing as books lined the walls on each side of the huge room. Much like the living room/parlor had, there was another white stone fireplace, though it looked a little smaller and had the crossed swords hanging above with what Olivia assumed was a shield.

There was a dark wooden banister that separated the books from the sitting part of the room as Damon began guiding her toward the lower area. All the furniture was either dark brown or black leather, Olivia really couldn’t tell because the only light in the room were dim small lamps and of course the roaring fire. A huge Persian rug lay in front of the furniture, several paintings and pictures hanging all over the walls, each detail more divine than the next.

“Would you like a drink?” Damon asked cordially, leaving her standing in the middle of the library while he headed back to the upper portion of the room where the books were.

Olivia noticed then there was a mini bar, much like the one in the living room/parlor, and watched as Damon poured himself a healthy dose of dark liquor. She assumed it was bourbon since that’s what he’d ordered at the Mystic Grill the previous night. Wow, had she only met this man twenty four hours ago? As much as Olivia’s brain was screaming at her not to drink in front of this man, her nerves were on edge and alcohol was the cure.

It was the only way she’d get through this discussion they were about to have.

“Sure, some wine if you have it.” There was no way she could drink hard liquor because Olivia didn’t need her judgment clouded.

“Coming right up, Olivia.”

Damon flashed a smile, reaching down to procure a bottle of white wine and poured her a wine glass of it. He grabbed both the bourbon and wine in one hand with the drinks balancing gracefully in the other, walking back down to where she still stood. Olivia smiled, taking the glass of wine he handed her, murmuring her gratitude before taking a long taste of it. The flavor was just as amazing as everything else in this mansion, having a fruity tang and tartness that was kind to the tongue’s pallet.

Nearly coming undone at the sight of her luscious mouth tasting the wine and snaking her pink tongue out to lick her lips, Damon had to look away, draining his glass of bourbon. This was so hard. He knew Olivia wasn’t doing it on purpose, but that’s what made it so much more alluring. She didn’t even know the effect she had on him and it’d been a very long time since a woman did. Olivia had gotten under his skin in the span of a day, which both intrigued and unnerved Damon, still deciding if it was a good or bad thing.

“Have a seat, Olivia.” Damon requested in a gruff voice, keeping his back to her while he poured a refill, taking several breaths and regretted it.

Mangos…He could smell her scent pouring off of her and that made him drain his second glass, refilling it for a third time. Olivia frowned, hearing the slight edge in Damon’s voice, but didn’t think anything of it as she lowered down to the soft leather sofa, crossing one leg over the other. Damon joined her moments later, sitting beside her on the sofa and watched as the firelight reflected in Olivia’s amber eyes, making them look like molten gold.

The flames also gave her skin a luminescent glow and all Damon wanted to do was reach out to touch her. Precipitously wishing he would’ve kissed Olivia on the stairs when he had the chance…when Damon had her right where he wanted her. Being this close to her was making him heady, the liquid fire flowing through his veins and Damon couldn’t handle having this buttoned up shirt on anymore, beginning to undo it with his nimble fingers.

“So what proposition did you have in mind?” Damon asked in a low, seductive voice, a smirk curving his lips when he once again heard Olivia’s heart rate kick up a notch, slowly shuffling out of the shirt.

Oh dear CHRIST!! Damon was completely shirtless in front of her and Olivia could barely breathe, let alone speak, trying to force her brain to work. All she could do was run her eyes down his chest slowly, deliberately, practically devouring him. He had such a magnificent body, one that any woman would kill to have pressed against them. Olivia had it right in front of her, inches away and all she wanted to do was run her fingers down his strapping torso, wondering what his skin felt like.

Deciding if he was going to play this game, Olivia could do the same thing as she drained her wine, smiling innocently. “I’d like a refill please.” She requested, handing the wine glass to him and closed her eyes when their fingers brushed together, that electric shock shooting up her arm again.

Damon felt it, but didn’t say anything, just turned to pour her some more wine; having a feeling he made her uncomfortable being shirtless. It was either that or Damon was going to let his impulses take over and attack, which couldn’t happen, not now anyway. When he turned around to hand over the second glass, his aquamarine eyes instantly darkened at the sight of her, his mouth turning dry.

Olivia had taken her yellow baby doll top off, revealing a simple thin white camisole beneath and Damon could see the lace bra beneath it, along with her tanned skin. This was a very foreign feeling to Damon because he was always a master at controlling his emotions, even flipping the switch if necessary, but this woman was doing things to his body he never experienced before. Damon had been on this earth a very long time, a hundred and seventy three years, yet he never met a woman quite like Olivia, his interest more than piqued.

“Sorry, I was warm.” Olivia took the glass from him, careful not to touch him again and sipped it, feeling a little better. “Simone came to me today and said that she really likes your home. She doesn’t want to stay in a hotel and, quite frankly, neither do I. But we don’t want to put you guys out either, overstay our welcome and make you feel as though we’re taking advantage of you and your brother.” She held her hand before Damon could open his mouth. “Let me finish and then you can speak.” If she kept going, Olivia wouldn’t lose her nerve as she took a deep breath. “So we were wondering if we paid you and your brother, could we stay here for a few more nights until we figure out what we’re going to do. I know it’s a lot to ask, Damon. This place is amazing and Simone feels really comfortable here. We’ll understand if you don’t want to do this, but I figured it was worth a shot in asking. But I will tell you right now, if you try telling me that you won’t accept our money, we will go to the hotel twenty minutes away. I won’t stay in a place this extravagant without paying for it, same with Simone, and we can more than afford it in case you had doubts.”

That was the proposition? Damon started laughing, not meaning to, but he couldn’t help it, taking a long swig of his bourbon. Just when he thought he had Olivia all figured out, she threw a curveball at him. There was no way he was taking her money, but just by the determination in her amber eyes, Damon had a feeling she wouldn’t take no for an answer. So, did Damon fight her on it or just make her think she paid him to stay at the mansion?

Oh the possibilities with this sudden turn of events!

Chapter 9

Setting his glass on the end table, Damon gently took both of Olivia’s hands in his, staring into her apprehensive amber eyes. “First of all, you and Simone are not a burden. I invited you to stay here because I know how uncomfortable hotels are and figured our accommodations would suit you better. Second, did you know this used to be a boarding house where members of the Salvatore Family used to stay?” When Olivia shook her head mutely, Damon continued. “Our deceased nephew used to allow visitors to stay here free of charge because he didn’t feel it necessary to take money from people that needed a place to rest.”

What Olivia didn’t know was Damon had been the one who killed Zach and he didn’t regret doing it. The little idiot had actually teamed up with Stefan, when Damon first came back into town three years ago, and dosed him with vervain. Stefan had been the one to do it because Zach was a measly human who supplied the vervain. Damon ended up being starved for three straight days in the mansion’s basement cellar because he’d wreaked havoc in the small town of Mystic Falls.

Stefan’s plan was to let him mummify –that’s what happened to a vampire who didn’t feed on some sort of blood for an extended period of time- and lock him in the family crypt deep in the middle of the woods for fifty years. However, Stefan’s plan was foiled because Damon had been seeing Elena Gilbert’s beautiful friend, Caroline Forbes, and summoned her to the mansion while everyone was away. He used what little power he had left to compel her to open the cellar door, but Zach tried stopping her.

Even weakened, Damon was far stronger than Zach and shoved open the door he tried keeping closed, snapping his own distant nephew’s neck for his interference. After that, Damon was far more cautious around his little brother and didn’t underestimate him as much, vowing if that ever happened again he would drive a stake through Stefan’s heart. Damon admitted he was a dick back then and still was, but had mellowed out a lot since he decided to make Mystic Falls his permanent home with his little brother.

Olivia knew what it was like to lose a loved one and began fingering the cross necklace her mother gave her, tears stinging her eyes. “I’m sorry for your loss.” She whispered, not trusting her voice at the moment. “How long ago was it?”

“Three years.” Damon honestly felt nothing with Zach’s death, but if it helped him keep Olivia under this roof, he would play the sympathetic card. “I honestly wouldn’t feel right taking your money to stay here, Olivia, because of Zach’s death.”

“So…I’m not the first person you’ve housed here?” When Damon shook his head, Olivia lowered her eyes and clasped her fingers together, taking a deep breath. “You honestly wouldn’t mind if we stayed here for free? It shouldn’t be more than a few more days.” Doing this would push Olivia to do what she came to Mystic Falls to do since it was clear Damon wouldn’t take her money.

Running his thumbs lightly over the back of her hands, Damon smiled charmingly and shook his head. “The pleasure would be all mine, Olivia.” He idly wondered if she preferred to be called something else, recalling Simone’s nickname ‘Livi’ and thought that sounded too childish.

“What about your brother?” Olivia didn’t feel it was right staying here without both brothers consenting.

“He’s already told you he doesn’t mind. I’ll talk to him if it makes you feel better, but it’s not a problem. Trust me.”

Damon noticed the sadness had filled her eyes when he mentioned Zach, wondering what that was about. Every time she became sad, he noted she grabbed the necklace laced with vervain, the only thing stopping him from delving into her mind. It unnerved Damon because he was dying to know what she was thinking at that moment, especially when the sadness only intensified.

“What has you so sad, Liva?” Damon decided that’s what he would call her from now on, watching as her brows knitted together, the smile on his face never faltering.

“Liva?” She echoed, sounding a little amused and Damon knew instantly nobody had ever called her by that before.

“As beautiful as your full name is,” Damon scooted closer and moved his hands to lightly wrap around her wrists, not wanting her running out on him. “I find Liva is a little easier to roll off the tongue, don’t you?”

This man was incredibly dangerous in an enchanting way, Olivia silently observed, and couldn’t believe how much his touch affected her. Olivia wasn’t a virgin by any means and had her fill of men sexually, but no man had EVER affected her like this. This wasn’t her first rodeo, so why did Olivia feel torn in two when it came to this beautiful man?

It was almost as if there was an angel on one shoulder and a devil on her other, both of them battling with each other. The angel of course told her to run as far away from him as possible and not to stay in the mansion, while the devil told the angel to shut the hell up, reminding her of what Damon had done for both Olivia and Simone. Olivia was so confused, not knowing the right thing to do, but then Simone’s voice suddenly entered her mind, her words from their earlier conversation piercing through her like a sharp knife.

Let’s just stay for a few more days. I’m sure Damon wouldn’t mind, especially since he wants you.

You need a distraction and he could be the perfect one, Livi, someone to take your frustrations out on. He’s smart, sweet and sexy. Why not just go there and throw caution to the wind?

The angel and devil instantly faded because Simone overpowered both of them, easing Olivia’s mind a little. “I don’t mind it.” She finally found her voice, turning and slipped one of her wrists out of his grasp to grab her wine, draining the rest of it.

“More?” Damon asked, taking his free hand to grab the bottle, already pouring her a third glass. “I take it you like it?”

“It’s delicious.” Olivia said, blushing a little when he smirked and knew the next words that popped out of her mouth were due to the alcohol. “Are you trying to get me drunk so you can seduce me, Mr. Salvatore?”

Damon grinned, seeing the amusement dancing in her beautiful fire lit eyes and shrugged. “Maybe.” He winked, pouring more bourbon in his own glass and leaned his head forward a little until their lips hovered over each other’s. “Are you seducible, Liva?”

Bravery over, Olivia pulled her gaze away from him to look around the library, chewing her bottom lip. “This place really is incredible and I know that’s a weak word to use, but it’s all my fuzzy brain can come up with right now.” She was rambling and stood up from the couch, feeling Damon release her easily enough, but with great reluctance. “I’ve always been interested in history and find places like this fascinating.”

“Why’s that?” Damon was intrigued by her random talking, rising as well to stand right behind her, the scent of mangos once again invading his senses.

Olivia could feel him behind her, the heat of the fire not helping how fast her body temperature skyrocketed with Damon being this close. “Because of the classic and elegance this mansion holds.” She didn’t feel right calling it a house because that’s not what they were standing in. “The style and architecture, you don’t see it anywhere these days, though it’s been beautifully preserved.”

Damon smirked, reaching up to brush away the beautiful soft auburn tresses from her shoulder and neck, exposing her succulent skin. “You never answered my question, Liva.” He wasn’t letting it drop, not when he had her completely alone, vulnerable and willing, her eyes telling him everything he needed to know. “And that’s not very well-mannered of you.”

Her pulse instantaneously sped up when his hot breath puffed against her ear, his voice dropping an octave. She knew what question he was referring to, but Olivia didn’t want to tread on dangerous ground, which is where they were headed. If Olivia did this, if she gave in and let the desire consume her, there would be no turning back. Olivia didn’t know Damon Salvatore from a hole in the ground and yet she wanted him.

“Your silence is speaking volumes.” Damon pointed out, wrapping one arm around her waist and pulled her back to press against his chest, nuzzling her ear. “But I won’t go any further with this until I hear the simple three lettered word from your lips.”

“Before I answer, I need you to answer one question.” Olivia slowly turned around, her chest now pressed against his, looking up into his darkened blue eyes. “Are you looking for a relationship or just someone to have a fling with?”

Damon chuckled, running a finger down her cheek and could tell she wasn’t joking with him. “Don’t over analyze it, Olivia.” He said honestly, his arm still encircling her waist, so she couldn’t escape him easily this time. “Let me put it this way: I never rule anything out and have no expectations. Whatever happens, happens. I’m not psychic, I can’t predict the future. All I’m concerned with is the here and now, in this room, with you in my arms.”

His words completely melted her because they were so authentic and blunt, Olivia knew he wasn’t lying to her. “I asked you that because…I’m not sticking around town long, Damon.” She lowered her eyes from his, taking a deep breath. “So whatever happens between us is going to be short lived and I didn’t want to lead you on or something like that.”

For some odd reason, that didn’t set well with Damon and he didn’t understand why. “Do you mind me asking why?” His voice was soft and low, not wanting to scare her away when it seemed like she might open up to him. “I know we haven’t known each other long, Liva, but you can talk to me. I’m a good listener, or so I’m told.”

“I can’t.” She whispered, turning around with his arm still holding her in place and willed the sudden onslaught of tears to stay in her eyes, looking up to stare in the fire. “I just have some questions that this town might be able to answer. Simone and I won’t be here more than a few days and then we’ll be heading back to our home where we belong.”

“What makes you think you don’t belong here?” Damon questioned, resting his chin on her shoulder and could see a single tear slide down her cheek, the pain radiating off of her in waves. “Did someone hurt you?” If they had, Damon would personally see to it that he ripped their heart out and shoved it down their throat.

Olivia shook her head, reaching up to finger her necklace again and gripped it, hating that she was ruining this moment between them. “No it’s nothing like that.” She whispered, sniffling and leaned back against his chest, all of her resolve weakening when his hand splayed against her stomach, burning through the thin material.

“Are you in some kind of danger?” Damon pressed, trying to rack his brain and had noticed she touched the necklace again, eyes narrowed. “You said someone very special gave that to you.” When Olivia nodded, Damon finally had some kind of clue on where the pain might’ve stemmed from and slowly bunched the material of her camisole in his fingers. “Who was it?”

“My mother.” Olivia had no idea why she was divulging this information to a complete stranger, figuring it couldn’t hurt to talk to someone else about her parents’ death besides Simone. “I’ve had it since I was sixteen.”

Interesting, now they were getting somewhere as Damon began stroking her soft skin and smirked when goose bumps formed beneath his touch, enjoying the effect he was having on her. “Why do you always become sad whenever she’s mentioned?” Then it hit him like a ton of bricks, the realization crashing over him and Damon buried his nose in her hair. “She’s dead.”

Olivia nodded solemnly, wishing they hadn’t gotten on this subject because all it did was upset her. “Yes.”

Turning around, Olivia suddenly cupped Damon’s face in her hands and brought his lips down on hers, needing a distraction. She said the word he wanted to hear and didn’t care about the consequences of what was about to happen between them. There was an aching need deep inside her that Olivia couldn’t ignore, softly moaning when he returned the kiss, everything about him lighting her on fire.

Damon definitely didn’t expect this, but he wasn’t complaining and growled, lifting her up, her legs instantly wrapping around his waist. His strength just turned Olivia on further, burying her fingers in his soft messy black hair and pressed against him as close as she could get. Backtracking back to the couch, Damon fell back with her straddled on his lap and watched as she pulled back, running the pad of his thumb across her swollen lips. They tasted better than he could imagine and the feeling was more than mutual for Olivia, her entire body flushed from head to toe.

Reaching down, Olivia peeled away her camisole and tossed it behind her before going right back to devouring his lips with hers. Damon had to be careful because she was human, so he had to take his time or he would surely hurt her. Being a vampire, he had enhanced speed and strength that could break any human in half, especially a petite little thing like Olivia. Damon already felt protective of this strange woman he knew barely twenty four hours and that was baffling.

All rational thoughts flew out the window when Olivia proceeded to trace his lips with the tip of her tongue, nibbling on his lower lip and that emanated another deep growl. Those molten gold eyes were piercing him, completely spellbinding and Damon gripped the back of her head, slamming his lips against hers once more. Olivia didn’t mind the intensity, welcoming it with open arms as opposed to the constant heartache and pain she felt from her parents’ untimely death.

When Damon’s tongue swiped across her lips begging for access, Olivia granted it to him without hesitation and clung to him as their tongues touched for the first time. It was explosive; Olivia had never been kissed this thoroughly and passionately in her entire life. By now, Damon should’ve been tearing her clothes off and pounding her relentlessly, but apparently he enjoyed taking his time, which was a nice change.

For the next several hours, all they did was stay in the library kissing and exploring with hands and mouths, neither in a rush to jump right into sex.

Chapter 10

Exactly one hour later, Tyler Lockwood pulled up to the Salvatore residence and blared his horn. There was no way he was stepping foot inside his enemy’s home, that wouldn’t end well. He still couldn’t believe he was doing this, actually teaming up with vampires, and felt sickened every time he thought about it. This wasn’t right, but if it protected the people of Mystic Falls, then Tyler was willing to use trickery and whatever else to get answers out of Simone.

Simone walked out a few minutes later, wearing a dark magenta leather skirt with an off the shoulder black short sleeved top, two inch black Manolo Blahniks on her feet. Her ash blonde tresses hung down and teased around her face, which had minimal makeup on it. Natural eye shadow, black liner and magenta colored gloss that shimmered in the dark.

Tyler suddenly had to learn how to breathe again.

Simone froze at the sight of the beautiful sleek black vintage 1971 Buick GS sitting in Damon’s driveway, her mouth dropping open. Pure unconditional want filled her jade eyes as Simone devoured every inch of the vehicle, almost afraid to move toward it even a fraction. When Tyler saw Simone pause from walking toward him, he frowned and stepped out of the car, hoping she was alright.

“Simone…?”

“This is YOUR car?” Simone gaped, suddenly remembering Damon making a comment regarding Tyler’s car and was pleased to find his words reigned true.

Tyler smirked, glancing back at his baby and nodded, his dark eyes meeting hers again. “I’m the one driving it, so yes it’s mine.” It was a sweet sixteen birthday present from his parents and Tyler had never loved an item as much as he did this car.

“It’s gorgeous…and here I thought Damon Salvatore had the best car in town.” Simone replied cheekily, heading toward it and could tell Tyler took very good care of it, which was a good thing since these types of vehicles weren’t seen often nowadays.

Grinning at her brazenness, Tyler walked around the car to open the passenger door, thoroughly enjoying the elated expression on her face. “Care to go for a ride with me in it then, Ms. Turner?” He asked affably, really wanting Simone in his car, his brain slowly starting to slide in the gutter.

Flashing a breathtaking smile, Simone didn’t waste another second gawking and rushed over to where Tyler stood, his dark eyes practically devouring her whole. “Don’t mind if I do, Mr. Lockwood.” Winking, Simone carefully slipped into the passenger seat, the touch of leather against her skin heavenly.

For a split second, Tyler was almost afraid Simone would orgasm on his pristine leather seats, which would normally anger him. He didn’t allow any food, drinks or sexual encounters in his baby, treating it with the utmost care. However, the sultry look that crossed Simone’s face made Tyler want to toss the third rule out the window, the brown in his eyes blackening instantaneously.

“Buckle up.” He rumbled, trying to keep the huskiness out of his voice and failed miserably.

Simone did a full body shiver at the sound of his voice and watched as Tyler walked around to the driver’s side, sliding behind the wheel. The engine purred and roared to life at the slight turn of the key and Simone felt the vibration run from the top of her head to the tips of her freshly painted magenta toes. It was without a doubt the most divine sound Simone ever heard, pure music to her ears.

“I have a question for you before we leave.” Tyler stated, watching as her dreamy jade eyes met his and smiled, reaching across the seat to run a finger down her cheek. “First off, you look stunning tonight.” He had to get the accolades out of the way, taking her hand to brush his soft lips against the knuckles. “Second, I know you feel the tension between us.” Tyler didn’t need to say what kind, he hoped anyway, because it was too tangible not to sense.

Simone squeezed his hand in response, nodding, her heart rate kicking up a notch. “Yes there is.” She had an itch that was in dire need of scratching, already feeling the heat submerging her body. “What do you propose we do about it?”

Tyler gritted his teeth, a groan passing between his clenched teeth and couldn’t believe how forward and blunt this woman was. “Well, we can go on a ‘proper’ date and get to know each other slowly over food and a few drinks or…” He trailed off, pausing purposefully and proceeded to bring her fingertips up to his mouth, tantalizing them with his hot tongue.

The sensation of Tyler’s administrations made Simone heady, her blood heating and could already feel her panties moistening. “Or you can take me some place a little more secluded and get to know me in every way possible.” She concluded, telling him exactly what she wanted to happen and smirked seductively when Tyler let out an audible groan.

“I think that second idea is the winner, Simone.” His voice had dropped several octaves, sounding rough and raucous; a carnal need overriding every irrational thought in his mind.

“Couldn’t agree more, Tyler.”

Slamming the car in reverse, Tyler peeled out of the Salvatore’s driveway and hoped Simone was prepared for what she asked. Simone felt very bold and glided her hand across the leather to his jean covered thigh while he drove, a wicked smile curving her lips. Tyler’s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly and he had to reign in his inner animal so he didn’t rip it off because of his superior strength.

“Christ, what are you doing to me?” He growled in a hiss, almost matching the rumble of his car and that just made Simone hotter.

“Just keep driving and enjoy.”

Simone knew she couldn’t take the seatbelt off, but that wouldn’t stop her from giving Tyler a little sample of what was to come that night. Her hand moved from his thigh to run a single magenta painted fingernail down the hard bulge pressing painfully against his jeans. That looked very painful indeed, Simone’s jade eyes darkened to a deep forest green as she glanced up at him, smiling at the sight of Tyler trying to remain controlled.

As soon as Simone slid the zipper down to alleviate the pressure, Tyler let out the biggest sigh of relief because the pain ceased a little. “Don’t.” He rumbled, stopping her hand from reaching inside to free him completely and shook his head. “Patience, we’re almost there…”

Tyler decided to take her to his place deep in the woods where nobody would be able to hear her screams. Shortly after graduation, Tyler built a small two bedroom house on the Lockwood premises. The house was strategically placed right by the cellar he used to chain himself up every full moon, making it much easier and gave him more time to make sure he couldn’t get loose. Once Tyler morphed into a wolf, he was uncontrollable and would rip into anything he could reach, including people, so he had to take extra precaution.

Pouting, Simone reluctantly pulled her hand away after zipping him back up, feeling a little disappointed that he stopped her playtime. That fine, she could continue it once they arrived wherever he was taking her. Simone honestly didn’t blame Tyler for not wanting any shenanigans happening in his beautiful car, knowing she would be the same way if the roles were reversed.

A few minutes later, Tyler turned on a black paved road and slammed his foot down on the gas, flying down it at top speed, the engine revving dangerously. Simone squealed out at the exhilarating feeling, the trees they passed by blurred due to how fast he was going. Somebody was definitely in a hurry, Simone mused, and she would be lying if she said she didn’t reciprocate the notion.

Tyler suddenly slid his beast to a sliding stop, dust flying up around the wheels and got out before Simone could catch her breath. She blinked when Tyler practically ripped the door off its hinges and unbuckled her, yanking her out of the car on trembling legs. This woman had riled him up in a way Tyler never felt as his blackened eyes pierced hers, his breathing exceedingly heavy.

“Where are we?” Simone breathed out, absolutely no fear in her dark forest green orbs, running her hands down his shirt covered chest.

“My place.” Tyler answered in a low rumble and reached beneath her skirt, grabbing her panties, tearing them right off her body. “You can’t enter wearing these.” He dangled the ripped material from his hand, wrapping his free arm around her waist, and sealed his mouth to hers before she could react or respond.

As far as Simone was concerned, that animalistic gesture just created more sparks in her burning body, returning the passionate kiss. Tyler shoved the panties in the back pocket of his jeans and lifted Simone with ease, her legs wrapping around his waist, carting her to the front door. He didn’t bother locking up his house because nobody was stupid enough to trespass on the Lockwood’s property and break into it.

Stumbling inside, Tyler slammed Simone against the door, effectively closing it and didn’t bother taking their time undressing. Simone buried her fingers in his short soft black hair, opening her mouth for entrance when his tongue slid across her lips, moaning at the taste of Tyler Lockwood. He had a rustic, musky scent that reminded her of the woods surrounding them and it intoxicated her.

The sound of his zipper freeing his pulsating erection made Simone do another full body shiver, her sex quivering with anticipation. When Tyler pulled back to ask the inevitable ‘sure’ question, Simone pressed her finger over his lips to silence him, kissing him again. Tyler had his answer, already having the condom in his hand he procured from his front jean pocket and ripped it open with his teeth. Shoving his jeans down from his hips to his thighs, Tyler kept her pinned against the door, blinking when she suddenly stopped him.

“I’m on the pill.” Simone informed him breathlessly, taking the condom and tossed it to the side. “I hate those things; I want to feel all of you.”

“Hold on tight, baby.”

A deep moan escaped her at the feeling of Tyler running his shaft up and down her soaked sex, tormenting her. Simone had never wanted a man buried to the hilt inside of her as much as Tyler Lockwood, holding on for the explosive ride he was about to take her on. Tyler wasn’t small by any means, very well endowed, so he took his time sliding inside of her receptive body, hissing at how tight her walls contracted around him.

The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.

Simone’s nails dug into his broad muscular shoulders, both of them breathless at the friction and relished in it for a few minutes. When Simone adjusted to his size and shifted, Tyler knew she was ready for him to move. Snapping his hips forward, he plunged full force inside of her, completely filling her whole. Simone cried out in sheer ecstasy, trembling and felt her head spin when he slid halfway out, only to thrust right back in.

A guttural growl reverberated from Tyler’s chest when Simone raked her nails down his arms, encouraging him to pick up the pace. He wasn’t about to disappoint her and finally released his inner animal, burying his face in her neck, thrusting hard, fast and deep. This definitely wasn’t the way Tyler envisioned their first sexual encounter together, but definitely didn’t regret it and neither did Simone.

Sounds of flesh smacking flesh echoed throughout the small house, along with Simone’s body bumping repeatedly against the door, as Tyler claimed her. She was going out of her mind with how much passion exploded throughout her body, meeting Tyler for every single thrust he gave her. His mouth teased her neck and ear, groaning at how incredible she felt wrapped around his shaft. Tyler was positive if he died right here and now buried deep inside Simone, he would go happily.

Her heart thundered and Simone could feel her release building, clinging to Tyler, trying to prolong this as much as she could. When Tyler begged her to release, his mouth hovering over her ear, Simone couldn’t resist any longer. Her screams in throes of blissful agony filled the house as Simone felt the fire rush to her loins, thighs tensing. Tyler’s growls joined her screams as Simone’s hot essence completely coated and wrapped him in a cocoon, nearly suffocating because of how vehement her walls milked him.

Riding through her first release, Tyler knew he wouldn’t last much longer and grunted, thrusting a few more times deeply. “Oh Simone, yes!” He bellowed when he felt her shatter against him for a second time and that triggered his release, erupting, filling her with his warm seed.

“TYLER!!” Simone shrieked hoarsely, both of them spiraling over the edge of near insanity.

Sagging against him as his thrusts slowed, his shaft grew limp inside her until Tyler completely stopped, both of them breathing erratically. Her fingers ran through his hair to try calming him down while Tyler’s caressed her sides, running his thumbs in slow circles. They both looked up at the same time and laughed, Tyler resting his forehead against hers as their heart rates returned to normal.

“I would say that was unexpected, but I’d be lying.” Tyler said, both of them groaning as he slid out of her, but didn’t move for fear his legs would give out on him. “And I’m not sorry it happened either.”

“Good because I’m not either. I enjoyed what happened and wouldn’t mind doing it again.” Simone replied, brushing her lips softly against his and laughed at her trembling thighs. “Unless you don’t think you can keep up with me?”

She was challenging him and Tyler’s dark eyes narrowed, a deep husky chuckle escaping him. “Oh believe me, Simone; I’ll have you begging for mercy by the time I’m done with you tonight.” This small session didn’t satisfy Tyler by a long shot, wondering if he would ever get his fill of Simone Turner and knew he wouldn’t.

She was one of a kind.

“We’ll see.”

Simone had an insatiable sexual appetite, though she had no idea exactly what Tyler Lockwood was or else she would’ve taken those words back instantly. Being a wolf, Tyler’s appetite for sex was inexorable and never ceased, increasing the closer the full moon approached because of his consistent burning body. If Simone noticed how hot his skin was, she wasn’t saying anything and snuggled against him, pressing soft scorching kisses against the side of his neck.

Tyler knew he had to get around to asking her the reason she was in Mystic Falls, but it would have to wait. Talking was the last thing Tyler wanted to do with Simone as he pulled back from her addictive lips to yank his jeans up, leaving them unfastened. Just by the look in her cloudy forest green eyes, Tyler knew she was ready for round two and, truthfully, so was he as he drew her from the door and lifted her over his shoulder, stalking purposefully down the hallway to his bedroom.

For the better part of the night, Tyler got to know every inch of Simone, not stopping until they both collapsed in sheer exhaustion and fell asleep tangled in each other’s arms.

Chapter 11

Jade eyes slowly opened the following morning, or maybe it was afternoon, Simone really didn’t know or care. She was completely satisfied, every ache piercing her body exquisite because of the reason behind them. He currently slept beside her in all his muscled handsome glory, one arm slung over his head, the other resting comfortably on his steady rising and falling chest. Simone bit back a moan at the delicious ache between her thighs, just staring at him was all it took and she was ready for more.

“You’re staring at me.” He rumbled with his eyes still closed, a smirk curving his lips and could already smell her arousal.

“Yes I am and I definitely like what I’m staring at.” Simone informed him and reached over, trailing a single magenta fingernail down his rock hard chest. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

Tyler chuckled softly and shook his head, not moving because he enjoyed her touch too much. “My bladder did actually.” He bluntly said, finally opening his dark eyes to meet those hypnotic green spheres again. “I should probably drain the monster before I end up peeing all over you.”

Simone laughed, sitting up on the bed with the sheets drawn up over her chest and tossed a pillow at him. “You really know how to ruin a moment.” She huffed playfully, tilting her head as soon as Tyler slid from the bed and involuntarily licked her lips. “Then again, I do love watching you go. You must have the sexiest ass I’ve ever seen for a man.”

Talk about blunt, Tyler could feel heat rush up from the tips of his toes and soared to his face. “Thanks.” He grunted, walking into the bathroom and closed the door, knowing he would never live it down if Simone caught him blushing.

Simone grinned, slipping from the bed and walked over to the small dresser, opening the first drawer. She didn’t feel up to putting her clothes back on yet and pulled out one of Tyler’s black t-shirts that had some kind of white design splashed on it. Bringing it to her nose, that woodsy smell once again surrounded her and Simone hastily pulled it over her head, once again intoxicated by Tyler’s scent.

Tyler stood in the bathroom long after relieving himself, staring in the mirror, pondering over why Simone was in Mystic Falls. Something told him it had to do with her friend, Olivia, because he could feel a powerful sadness radiating from her every time she was in the same vicinity. Simone, on the other hand, was a ball of fire and rarely had a frown on that beautiful face, which Tyler was grateful for. Still, there was a reason they were here and Tyler had to find out what it was, but for the life of him he didn’t have a clue where to begin.

“Maybe I’ll take her out for break-” Quickly glancing at the clock on the bathroom wall, Tyler’s word broke off and he groaned at the time. “Brunch.”

He wouldn’t take her to the grill though, too many prying eyes and ears. There was a small diner about a half an hour away from Mystic Falls, which is what he had to do. He had to take her out of town in order to have this conversation, hoping she went without a fuss. Simone was protective of Olivia, which made Tyler’s interest that much more piqued.

Making up his mind, Tyler brushed his teeth and fixed his hair a little before walking out, raising a brow when he didn’t see Simone anywhere. “Simone?” He called out, rubbing the back of his neck and snatched some boxers from the hamper of clean laundry he hadn’t put away yet.

“In the kitchen!” She called down the hallway, trying to find something edible with no luck. “You really need to get some food in this place.”

“Yeah I know, I just-” The words died on Tyler’s lips as soon as he stepped into the living room/kitchen area, blinking at the delicious sight.

“You just what?”

Simone looked over her shoulder; an innocent smile splayed on her face and reached up to grab some cookies from the cupboard. As soon as she did that, the t-shirt rode up her thighs and flashed just a hint of her beautiful backside, teasing him. Tyler bit back a groan, already feeling his shaft hardening and quickly closed the distance between them, standing right behind her. Simone smirked when she felt something very warm and hard brush against her thigh, knowing she’d definitely gotten Tyler’s attention by wearing his t-shirt.

“Do you have any idea how smoking hot you look right now?” He demanded huskily, already sliding his hands up and down her sides beneath the t-shirt, mesmerized by her soft skin.

“No, why don’t you tell me?” Simone retorted, melting instantly against his strong hands scorching her body, gasping when his mouth sealed to her neck.

“I’d rather show you.” He growled, his mouth hovered over her ear and nipped her earlobe gently with his teeth. “Do you have any objections to that, Miss Turner?”

“Absolutely not, Mr. Lockwood.” She breathed out, reaching her hand back to grip the back of his neck while he continued assaulting her neck with his blazing mouth.

Grinning evilly, Tyler suddenly wrapped his hand in her long beautiful blonde tresses and forced her to bend forward, pushing the material of his t-shirt up her body. Simone did a full body shiver as soon as his hands clutched her sides, her entire body erupting in a forest fire and grabbed the counter, preparing for whatever Tyler had in mind. A few seconds later, Tyler had shoved his boxers down his legs and was buried to the hilt inside of her again, food the furthest from their minds.

An hour later, Tyler lay sprawled on the kitchen floor with Simone on top of him, both of them temporarily sated. “I have to be honest with you about something.” She said, breaking the silence between them, after catching her breath. “I’ve never had this much sex with a guy before.”

Tyler raised a brow, looking up when her head lifted, their eyes meeting. “You’re okay though right? I haven’t hurt you or anything, have I?” He really hoped not because Tyler would feel like a real jag off if he did.

Simone smiled, waving him off dismissively. “No, no you didn’t. Trust me, if you hurt me, you would know it by now.” She assured him, shifting a little where she straddled him again, leaning forward brushing her lips against his. “I’ve just never been THIS attracted to a man before to where I would pass up food for sex.”

“Well then, I think I should inform you about something as well.” Tyler reached up to stroke her cheek with the back of his hand tenderly. “No woman has ever affected me to the point where I’d rather devour them instead of actual food like you have.”

They were treading on dangerous ground and Simone knew she shouldn’t have stayed the night with him. Tyler even offered to take her back to the mansion, but all Simone did was pull him back on top of her to resume their passion filled night. Olivia was probably going out of her mind with worry and Simone knew she should call to check in. For some reason, however, she couldn’t pull away from Tyler Lockwood, not wanting to leave him and wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

“Well, after that strenuous workout, I don’t know about you, but I really need some sustenance, especially if we’re going to keep this up.” Simone stated, kissing him again and pressed her hands against his chest, needing help standing up.

“I’m glad you said that because I feel the same way.” Tyler stood up with her, wrapping an arm around Simone’s waist to make sure she didn’t collapse. “And I want to take you out to eat.”

Simone looked up at him, wondering if he was having the same problem she was as far as parting ways. “In that case, I need a quick shower because, as much as I don’t mind smelling like you, the sex scent definitely isn’t appealing.” She winked, heading down the hallway and squealed out when Tyler lifted her over his shoulder, giving her rear a teasing slap. “Tyler, no more until we eat!”

“Who said anything about sex, baby?” He grinned; kicking the bathroom door shut behind them and proceeded to kiss a protesting Simone until she liquefied in his arms.

After making love two more times in the shower, somehow, they dressed and headed out to the diner Tyler wanted to have the talk with her, hoping he wasn’t about to destroy what had built between him and Simone.

~!~

All Damon could do was gaze at a peaceful Olivia sleeping in his bed, mesmerizing every detail of her angelic face. She was an angel in the bed of a devil, both of them completely naked. The white sheet was drawn up to her chest, covering her voluptuous breasts, her beautiful auburn hair splayed around her haphazardly.

Her full pouty red lips were slightly parted as she breathed in and out evenly, each intake of breath making her chest rise and then fall. One hand splayed on her stomach on top of the sheet, the other laying prone at her side, her head tilted slightly toward him as if encouraging him to admire her more. Even the necklace laced with vervain around her neck didn’t bother Damon much because it just added to her splendor.

Damon was still in awe by what happened the previous night, not expecting Olivia to be as open with him as she was, especially when she kissed him first. All he wanted was a simple answer to the question he asked her regarding being seducible and she completely bewildered him with how she chose to answer him. Her lips tasted sweeter than honey, sugar and honeysuckle combined, by far the most saccharine flavor Damon ever had.

What was it about this human woman that had him in an uproar? The amount of pain in her eyes when he mentioned her mother definitely intrigued him. Damon wanted to know who her mother was because she knew about vampires and had given her beatific daughter a necklace laced with one of the only things that incapacitated his kind. Olivia didn’t seem to know about vampires because, if she did, there was no way she would’ve slept with him.

It felt incredible to have sex with a woman he didn’t have to use compulsion on because, for once, it felt real. Every touch and kiss was wanted instead of manipulated; all the things Damon did to her body Olivia enjoyed fully. The only thing that would’ve made the night flawless was if Damon could’ve tasted her blood. It was out of the question because of Olivia’s necklace and the fact she had no clue vampires existed.

Granted, the necklace could easily be removed, but Damon couldn’t do it and risk losing the honesty between them. “Liva.” He whispered, taking a chance and ran a finger down her cheek, smirking when she shifted a little.

A few minutes later, amber eyes opened to lock with electric blue, a gentle smile crossing Olivia’s face. “Morning.” She murmured, stretching her arms above her head, along with her legs, letting out a content sigh.

“Morning.” Damon sounded amused, enjoying Olivia smiling and wished she did it more, deciding he had to get to the bottom of her pain so he could help her. “Did you sleep well?”

“Very.” Olivia nodded, sitting up and yawned, running a hand through her messy hair, her body having a stunning glow. “Did you?”

“Mmmhmm…” Damon reached for her, pulling Olivia to sit across his lap, giving her a proper good morning kiss. “And what a way to start off the day.”

Olivia let out a breathy laugh, running her fingertips feather lightly down his face to his neck and chest, her eyes never leaving his. “Well I’m glad I can start your day off on the right foot.” She kissed him again and glanced at the clock, blinking. “It’s after one already?”

Damon looked at the clock, quirking a brow. “Wow, I guess it is.” He didn’t notice what time he woke up because he’d been too enthralled watching her sleep. “Did you have something to do today?”

“Yeah…” Where the hell was Simone? “Is my phone in here?” Olivia asked, extracting herself from Damon’s arms to stand up from the bed, pulling the sheet with her. “I need to call Simone. We’re supposed to go…sightseeing today.” That was a flat out lie and Olivia wished she sounded more convincing, but honestly lying wasn’t her strong suit.

Damon knew she wasn’t being truthful with him, but wasn’t about to point it out either, standing alongside her. “You’re in my room and I don’t recall you bringing it with you during our workout last night.” He smirked when she flushed a crimson red, wrapping one arm around her waist. “Such a lovely color on you.”

“Right.” Olivia had to check her messages in case Simone left her a message, wondering how her date with Tyler Lockwood went. “Thank you for last night, Damon.” She said sincerely, reaching down to swipe her clothes from the floor.

“Anytime.” Judging by how Olivia was acting, she regretted what happened between them last night and Damon would be lying if he said it didn’t bother him. “If you need someone to go sightseeing with, I know this town probably better than anyone.”

Olivia stopped what she was doing, turning to face him and smiled tentatively. “As tempting as your offer is, Simone and I promised to do it together. Thank you though.” She gasped when Damon grabbed her by the arm, yanking her back into his arms and planted a passionate breathtaking kiss on her lips, making her knees instantly turn to jelly.

“If you change your mind.” He rumbled, reluctantly breaking the kiss and ran the pad of his thumb across her lips.

Olivia couldn’t say anything as Damon released her, stumbling out of his bedroom door toward hers, needing to find her phone. Every time he kissed her, Olivia’s head whirled and her train of thought instantly clouded in a passion haze. Plopping down on the bed, Olivia touched her swollen lips, clutching the sheet to her further and closed her eyes at the memory of last night.

His muscular hands caressed every inch of her frame, worshipping and tasting her. His mouth and tongue felt like liquid fire against her skin, deluging her body with voracious desire. After hours of teasing and tormenting, Damon finally gave her what she craved, having begged for him to end her agony countless times. It was explosive and felt like an inferno had completely engulfed her to the point where Olivia thought she might’ve passed out.

“Christ…” She whispered, fanning herself with her hand to try cooling down because just the memories alone percolated the sparks and Olivia had things to do today that didn’t involve staying in bed with Damon.

Even though the idea was very enticing.

Shaking her head, Olivia grabbed her phone from the nightstand and flipped it open, frowning at the text she read. Livi, going out to eat with Tyler for the day. Will call you when we get back into town. Don’t be mad, love you!!

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” Olivia snapped the lid of her cell phone shut and tossed it on the bed, irrational anger enveloping her. ‘Screw it; I’ll go investigate by myself then.’ She thought irritably, snorting and dropped the sheet before padding into her private bathroom.

Chapter 12

Before Olivia could start her investigation, she required coffee and stopped at Mystic Grill, remembering they had a café. She wore a burnt orange long sleeved top with a pair of black jeans, black tennis shoes on her feet. Her auburn hair was swept up on top of her head, thanks to a huge black clip holding it in place, and a few tendrils framed her makeup free face. Olivia wasn’t out to impress anyone, she had one goal in mind and that was finding out if her sisters still lived in the area.

Matt looked up when the front door to opened, one of his habits and smiled at the sight of Simone’s friend, Olivia. Tyler called and talked to him about what the Salvatore brothers wanted him to do. That followed a discussion about Simone, how hot she was and how much Tyler wanted her. Judging by Olivia walking in alone, Matt could only assume Tyler had gotten what he wanted and currently had Simone preoccupied.

“Hey there.” Matt greeted as he walked up to her, a warm welcoming smile on his face. “Olivia, right?”

Nodding, Olivia smiled back. “Yes…Matt, right?”

“Yup, great memory.” He complimented, tossing the towel he’d been wiping the tables down with over his shoulder. “What brings you to the grill again?”

“Coffee beckons.” Olivia replied and followed Matt over to the café part of the establishment, which was busy.

“So, what kind of coffee do you want? We have cappuccino, Frappuccino, ice coffee with a lot of different flavors and regular coffee with just cream and sugar.” Matt informed her, guiding Olivia over to a table, looking down when his cell buzzed.

“I’ll take a caramel mocha Frappuccino.” Olivia would need all the sugar she could get, especially since she’d barely slept the previous night, thanks to Damon.

“Coming right up.”

Olivia watched him walk away and pulled out a small notebook from her purse, uncapping a pen, making a few notes. The Mystic Grill definitely was the main spot for a lot of the locals of this small town, Olivia observed, jotting that down. Something told her she would get most of her information from here, her eyes moving to where Matt currently stood making her caramel mocha Frappuccino. Simone was against talking to anyone about their reasoning for being there, but how else were they going to obtain their information?

‘Simone’s not here.’ She thought somewhat bitterly and decided it was time to go with her gut instinct.

“Here you go, a large caramel mocha Frappuccino with extra whipped cream and I even put a cherry on top for you.” Matt grinned boyishly, setting it down in front of her and could tell something was troubling Olivia. “On the house.”

“Are you sure?” Olivia hadn’t expected that, a forced smile crossing her lips. “That’s very kind of you, Matt. Thank you.”

“Welcome.”

When Matt turned to walk away, Olivia looked down at the cross around her neck and closed her eyes briefly, knowing what she had to do. “Hey Matt?” She called out, opening her eyes just as he turned back to face her and gestured him back over.

“Oh man, it sucks doesn’t it?” Matt groaned, hoping he had improved on his coffee making skills, but apparently not.

Olivia laughed softly, waving that off dismissively. “No, no it’s nothing like that…” Suddenly, she became nervous and wasn’t quite sure how to go about asking him questions she desperately needed answered. “I was wondering, do you have a few minutes to sit and talk with me?”

Quirking an eyebrow, Matt looked up at the sight of Bonnie walking through the door, wondering how she would feel about this. “Sure, my break is in another half an hour and we can-”

“Matt!”

Matt turned around, smiling at one of his best friends heading towards them. “Hey Elena.” He greeted, nodding his head politely at her boyfriend. “Stefan. What brings you two here?”

“Just wanted to grab a bite to eat and Bonnie wanted to talk to me about something.” Elena replied, deep brown eyes moving from Matt to the woman he’d been talking with when they walked in. “And who is this?”

Matt glanced at Stefan somewhat nervously and he nodded once, giving him permission to introduced them. “This is Olivia Jackson. Olivia, this one of my best friends, Elena Gilbert. You already know Stefan.”

Gilbert? Olivia didn’t move from her sitting position, positive if she was standing during the introduction, her knees would’ve buckled. Her breathing became a little irregular and Olivia could already feel the tears stinging the back of her eyes, trying to hold it together. Elena was beautiful with dark auburn hair that looked like it had red highlights in it with friendly milk chocolate brown eyes.

“Olivia, are you okay?” Matt asked concerned, noticing all the color had drained from her face, sparing another glance at Stefan.

“Y-Yeah…Yes, sorry.” Olivia forced herself to stand up from the table, extending her hand to Elena and managed a half-smile when the girl took it, shaking it firmly. “It’s nice to meet you, Elena.” She held a piece of Miranda inside of her, an answer to all the questions she had.

“You too…” Elena frowned, pulling her hand away from Olivia’s. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Yes, I had a long night and I’m not fully awake yet.” Olivia lied, reaching behind her to grab the caramel mocha Frappuccino, sipping it because her throat was incredibly dry. “Stefan, you have a lovely girlfriend.” Her niece…Olivia had to leave now before she had a breakdown in the middle of Mystic Grill, clearing her throat.

“Thank you.” Stefan wrapped a protective arm around Elena’s waist, feeling pain and sadness radiating from Olivia, eyebrows drawing together in confusion. “Did you want to sit with us for a minute?”

“Yeah! You’re new in town and I can give you all the tips on where to go, where not to go?” Elena offered enthusiastically, snuggling against Stefan and watched as Matt walked away to go take care of another customer.

That was not a good idea. Olivia kept the smile on her face, shaking her head. “Unfortunately, I have a few things I need to take care of, but maybe some other time.” She ignored the suspicious look on Stefan’s face, slowly inching around them. “You two have a nice day.”

“You too.” Unbeknownst to Olivia, Stefan had pulled his cell phone out and texted Damon, saying one word that would assuredly have big brother rushing here in a flash.

Olivia turned and walked hastily out of Mystic Grill, heading straight for her car as tears blurred her vision. She had to get out of here. It was a mistake coming to Mystic Falls to find out the truth because now she knew her biological family did indeed reside here. Elena couldn’t be here alone, she was loved by too many people and had roots, two things Olivia didn’t.

“Damn it!” From how hard her hands trembled, Olivia couldn’t keep a hold of her keys and dropped them, breathing raggedly. “Breathe…Breathe…”

She could already feel her knees buckling, but Olivia had to remain strong and gripped the door, managing to bend down without collapsing to retrieve her keys. That didn’t stop the tears from cascading down her cheeks as soon as Olivia shut her eyes, the harsh reality of the Sommers and Gilberts crashing over her severely. Olivia forced herself to stand upright, wiping the tears away angrily, but they just kept falling nonstop.

“Liva.”

Jumping about a foot in the air, a hoarse gasp escaped her as Olivia whipped around, staring into the electric blue eyes of Damon. What in the hell was he doing here? How did he know where she was? Olivia had a sinking feeling Stefan had contacted him because of her odd behavior toward Elena, mentally cursing for being so weak. She couldn’t help it though, meeting her potential niece hadn’t been something Olivia was prepared for. Not yet anyway.

“W-What are you doing here?” She stammered, gritting her teeth and lowered her gaze to the ground, sniffling.

“I think you know the answer to that question.” His voice was soothing and low, reaching out to cup her cheek in his hand, running the pad of his thumb across her cheek tenderly. “What’s wrong?” All the text from Stefan said was ‘Olivia grill now’ and Damon flew here as fast as he could, arriving just in time. “Talk to me.”

“No.” Olivia pulled away from him, turning her back to the car door and managed to open it this time. “Don’t worry about it. I have to go. I have to go find Simone and…”

“Simone is with Tyler and I doubt she’ll be back until later tonight, possibly tomorrow.” Damon informed her, moving closer to where she couldn’t open the car door, placing his hand over hers on the handle. “You can’t drive like this, Liva. You’re upset about something and I want to help you.”

“Why?” Olivia suddenly whirled to face him again, this time amber eyes flashing. “You don’t know a thing about me. What makes you think you can help me, Damon?”

“Never said I could.” Damon shrugged, taking a step back holding his hands up defensively. “I said I WANT to help you. And I know you a lot better than you probably realize, Olivia.” His eyes suddenly turned to ice, moving from her face to the cross around her neck. “When were you going to tell me about the vervain?”

That completely caught Olivia off-guard, her brow slowly lifting and instinctively grabbed her necklace. “What? What the hell is vervain?” She genuinely looked confused, blinking and swallowed hard when Damon pressed her against the car door, hovering over her.

“Don’t play coy with me.” Damon growled, running his fingertips underneath the necklace and avoided the cross charm, brushing against her pulse point. “You’re here for a reason and it has to do with Elena Gilbert.”

How did he know that? “Actually no, I’m not.” She shrieked out when he suddenly slammed his hand against the window and shattered it, forcing her heart to jump up in her throat. “Have you lost your damn mind?!”

“DON’T LIE TO ME!!” Damon was done being nice and courteous, not caring about the damage he did to her car. “What do you want with Elena?! And if you don’t answer me, I will hurt you.”

What happened to the kind sweet man she’d slept with the previous night? “Damon, I don’t want anything with Elena...” Her amber eyes shot open when his hand suddenly wrapped around her throat, squeezing warningly. “D-Damon, please…”

“You’re lying.” He hissed, yanking her by the throat to where their noses practically touched, eyes nothing except blue fire. “Last time I’m going to ask you this and then I’ll just resort to my way of dealing with problems in my town. What do you want with Elena Gilbert?”

Olivia trembled violently by now, her hand wrapped around his wrist and couldn’t believe how strong he was, coughing. “L-Let me go…” She rasped out, clawing at his arm by now, but it was no use.

“Your funeral.”

“DAMON, STOP!!”

“Stay out of this, Elena.” Damon ordered, his eyes never leaving Olivia’s terrified face, not fazed in the slightest.

“Stefan, do something!!” Elena cried, not wanting another innocent life taken at the hands of Damon. “She’s done nothing wrong!!”

Stefan hesitated though, his eyes landing on the necklace around her neck and tore a hand through his dark blonde hair. “Elena, she’s new…” He tried urging the importance of that simple statement, but all Elena did was glare at him. “Elena…”

Shaking her head, Elena stalked right over to Damon and shoved him away from Olivia with all the strength she could muster up, causing him to stumble back enough to release her throat. “What the hell is wrong with the two of you?! Just because she’s new here doesn’t give you the right to automatically assume she’s here to hurt me!!” She was tired of having two insufferable bodyguards that, more often than not, stepped over the line. “I’m very disappointed in both of you. You should be ashamed of yourselves for treating her like this!”

Stefan lowered his head, knowing Elena was angry because he hadn’t stepped in to assist Olivia. “Elena, she’s wearing vervain…” He tried again, cringing when Elena growled.

“AND?! Do you have any idea how many people wear vervain around here?!” She hissed quietly, not wanting to draw more attention to them and wrapped an arm around Olivia’s shoulders. “Just because she’s new and comes here with vervain doesn’t mean she’s after me!! Christ, there’s others like you that live all over the world!”

Olivia was busy trying to catch her breath, holding her throat and knew it would bruise. “W-What’s g-going on?” She rasped out, looking up at Elena and then moving her eyes back to Stefan, teeth chattering from how hard she trembled. “I-I d-didn’t do a-anything…”

“I know you didn’t, Olivia.” Elena assured her, helping the woman up and could already see the fingerprint bruises forming around her neck from Damon’s throttling. “It’s okay, come on we’ll explain everything to you, but not here. Let’s go back to my place and I’ll tell you everything you need to know and answer any questions you have. Since these idiots decided it would be easier to use force rather than simple questioning.”

“Now wait just a minute…”

“Damon, shut up.” Stefan ordered, livid at his brother for upsetting Elena this much and wished there was something he could do to make this right. “Elena…”

“No Stefan, don’t.” Elena held her hand up, looking up when Matt and Bonnie came barreling out the door, sighing with relief. “Thank goodness, can you drive her to my place, you guys? She was attacked by the brute over here for absolutely no reason and I’m getting her out of here before Sheriff Forbes is called.”

“What the hell happened?” Matt glared at Damon, not believing he actually put his hands on Olivia in a violent manner, shaking his head in disgust. “Yeah, I got it. Come on Bon-Bon.”

Bonnie nodded, tempted to force Damon to his knees and cause him the same pain he did to Olivia, but refrained. “Get him out of here, Stefan.” She ordered, sliding in the backseat of the Jetta and frowned at all the glass from the broken window. “Christ…”

Olivia was too dazed to argue with any of this, allowing Elena to guide her into the passenger seat and leaned back against the seat as the door shut. She wanted to say something, thank Elena for saving her from Damon, and blinked as huge tears slid down her face. The pain in her throat was intense, knowing it was already swelling and had to get some ice on it. A few seconds later, Matt drove away from Mystic Grill with Bonnie, following Elena and all Olivia could do was sit there, too bewildered to do much of anything else.

“I hope you’re happy, Damon.” Stefan growled as soon as they were gone, tossing his hands up in the air. “You were supposed to just TALK to her, not hurt her!!”

“She wouldn’t answer me and…”

“NO! Don’t even try that with me! You knew exactly what you were doing and lost your patience, so you decided to try forcing the truth out of her!! Did it ever occur to you that maybe, just MAYBE, she’s not here because of Elena?!” Stefan was enraged, suddenly grabbing his brother and flew away from the grill straight to the woods, letting his temper fuel the strength to overpower Damon.

“ARGH!!!” Damon roared out as soon as Stefan stabbed him with a wooden branch, eyes blazing with both pain and fury. “WHAT THE HELL?!”

“That’s your one and ONLY warning, Damon. Stay the hell away from Olivia and Simone or next time I might just drive it right in your heart.” Stefan left him there to mull over his words and flew away, heading straight for Elena’s to beg her forgiveness for being stupid.

All Damon could do was lay there and pulled the branch out of his side, tossing it to the side and stared up at the trees, knowing he made a huge mistake with Olivia.

Chapter 13

Tyler didn’t want to do this.

He really didn’t want to do this.

Pulling up to the small diner, Tyler cut the ignition and looked over at the beautiful woman sitting beside him. Everything about Simone called out to him and Tyler didn’t want to lose her. It’d been a while since he felt a real connection to anyone, especially a woman. Tyler didn’t want to destroy that by prying into her personal life, already knowing she wasn’t here with Olivia to hurt Elena.

Then again, what if they were?

“Why do you suddenly look like someone just killed your puppy?” Simone demanded, trying to inject humor in her tone and wondered what caused a frown to cross his handsome face.

Tyler chuckled somberly, not answering her and instead stepped out of the car, walking around to open her door. “Come on, time to eat.” He extended his hand and Simone didn’t hesitate, taking it, letting Tyler guide her into the small diner.

“Are you okay?” Simone asked softly, sighing when he just told the hostess they needed a table for two.

“Right this way.” The hostess, Cordelia, said with a smile, grabbing two menus and guided them to a booth in the far back of the diner. “Is this okay?”

“Yes, thank you. Bring us some water please.”

“Right away.”

Tyler waited for Simone to sit down before taking a seat across from her, reaching across the table to hold her hand, a tentative smile on his face. How was he supposed to her bring up the subject of why she was in Mystic Falls without upsetting her? Simone apparently felt his tension and squeezed his hand, a beautiful smile crossing her face that instantly warmed his insides. Any woman who could do turn him to mush with just a smile was definitely one of a kind…and one Tyler couldn’t let slip through his fingers.

“Something’s on your mind.” Simone murmured quietly, running the pad of her thumb across his knuckles. “After what we’ve done, I think we know each other well enough that you can talk to me about what’s bothering you. Ask Olivia, she’s claimed on more than one occasion I’m a great listener.”

She pushed that small pang of guilt away at the mention of Olivia, knowing she had some serious explaining to do when they returned to Mystic Falls. As much as she wanted to help Olivia, Simone didn’t want to end her time with Tyler and hoped her best friend understood. Simone realized she chose a man over Olivia, but honestly what could she do for Olivia at this point? There was no way she would meet her family today, all Olivia could do was investigate and ask questions discreetly around town.

“I could say the same about you.” Tyler rumbled, seeing the different emotions cross Simone’s face and could only imagine what thoughts currently ran through her mind.

“Sorry.” Simone apologized, heaving a sigh and nodded at the waitress, sipping her water slowly. “We haven’t looked at the menu yet.”

“Give us a few.” Tyler requested, his eyes never leaving Simone and felt the waitress walk away, taking her other hand as soon as she set her glass of water down. “Talk to me, Simone.”

Simone wanted more than anything to tell him, but she wasn’t sure if that was a good idea considering how very little she knew about Tyler Lockwood. This all revolved around Olivia trying to find her biological family. Maybe Tyler could help with that, even though he was a young buck. He seemed to know Mystic Falls fairly well, surely he would be able to tell her if any of the Sommers or Gilbert’s lived in the area?

“I asked what was bothering you first.” She decided to test the waters and see if he trusted her enough to talk about whatever was on his mind. “You tell me, I’ll tell you.”

Tyler’s lip curled slightly in a half-scowl, half-smirk. “You drive a hard bargain, beautiful.” He muttered, no malice in his tone and leaned back against the booth, releasing her hand. “What’s on my mind has to do with what you’re thinking.” He wasn’t questioning it, Tyler knew.

Quirking a perfectly shaped ash blonde brow, Simone’s eyes narrowed slightly as she crossed her arms in front of her chest, wondering what he meant by that. “I don’t understand…” She trailed off purposefully, pursing her lips tightly together.

“I’m curious about you and your friend, Olivia.” Tyler knew she wouldn’t open up to him unless he brought the subject up first. “I want to know what brought you to Mystic Falls.” He blurted out, waiting for her to stand up and storm out of the diner at any second. “The reason.”

Simone shut her eyes briefly, looking away from him to stare out the window and could already feel the pain intruding. Olivia wasn’t the only one who lost people she loved and cared about. Simone was practically a second daughter to the Jackson’s, just as Olivia was to the Turner’s. They were sisters, closer than best friends, so losing Martin and Margaret hadn’t been the easiest for Simone. Then finding out Olivia wasn’t biologically theirs just made the pain much deeper because she thought she knew the Jackson Family well.

“Olivia and I came to Mystic Falls to try solving a mystery regarding her…OUR…family.” She corrected in a low voice, grabbing the napkin from the table and could feel the tears sting the back of her eyes.

Tyler frowned, the amount of pain radiating from Simone’s frame crashing over him. He suddenly stood and sat beside her, forcing her to scoot over in the booth to where he could wrap his arms around her. Simone finally let the tears flow, burying her face in his chest and clung to him with everything she had. The whole time she had kept her feelings at bay, along with the tears, because she had to be strong for Olivia and it finally got the better of her.

“I’m sorry…” Simone whispered, pulling away a little to wipe her tears away, and looked up into Tyler’s dark eyes, seeing all the worry swimming through them. “Let’s eat and then we’ll go somewhere more secluded.” Reaching up, Simone caressed his face with the back of her hand, sighing when his lips brushed across her the small tear trails on her cheeks, giving a watery smile. “I’ll tell you everything, I promise.”

“Alright, but I’m not moving.” Tyler smirked when she laughed in spite of the small breakdown she just had, keeping his arm wrapped around her shoulders. “So, what do you want to eat?”

Simone decided on the pancake platter that came with scrambled eggs, bacon and hash browns while Tyler opted for a Belgian waffle, French toast platter, - he doubled it- and an egg omelet. To say Simone was astounded by all the food he ordered was an understatement. She never met a man who had an appetite quite like his, not with the incredible body he had anyway, and Simone marveled in what his secret was to stay in shape.

“What?” Tyler grinned when Simone could only gape at him while the waitress swept away to put their order in. “I’m a growing boy.” He patted his stomach, eyes twinkling.

“How the hell do you stay in shape?” She bluntly demanded, folding her arms in front of her chest. “That’s…do you have any idea how many carbs all of that holds? What you just ordered could feed an entire army and probably some.”

“I know.” Tyler chuckled; kissing her lips softly and suddenly sported that thoughtful frown on his face again.

“What’s wrong now?” Simone groaned, turning to fully face him in the booth and ran the pad of her thumb across his lips.

Tyler decided since she trusted him enough to tell him her reasoning for being in Mystic Falls, he would return the favor. “Let’s eat first. I’ll tell you everything once we’re completely alone.” He really hoped she didn’t run away screaming before this day ended because losing her wasn’t an option.

Simone agreed, deciding to make small talk until their food arrived about mediocre topics. Their favorite foods, music, movies…topics that didn’t tread on dangerous territory. Breakfast arrived quickly and Simone was grateful as they both dug in, their conversation ending abruptly since both were starved. Because Tyler had so much food, he reluctantly moved back to his side of the booth, needing half the table just to make room for his order and eat comfortably.

Once both were full and felt they may combust, Tyler paid the bill and lead Simone out of the diner toward his car. Simone couldn’t remember the last time she ate that much food in one sitting and yawned, definitely ready for a nap. Tyler chuckled, pulling her into his arms on the sidewalk and cupped her face in his strong hands, kissing the breath out of her. A soft moan spilled from her lips as Simone instantly returned the kiss, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

“Time to go, beautiful.” Tyler whispered against her lips, fingering her chin tenderly. “Before we go, I need you to promise me something right here and now.”

“Anything.” Simone said, trying to learn how to breathe and wondered if she would always feel breathless every time Tyler kissed her.

“Promise me that, no matter what you hear today, you won’t run away from me. You need to have an open mind.” Tyler stated, cupping her face in his strong hands and never broke eye contact, those beautiful jade eyes full of questions. “I won’t tell you my secret unless I know for a fact I won’t lose you, Simone.”

Whatever Tyler was going to divulge to her definitely had him on edge and Simone nodded, swallowing hard. “I promise, Tyler. It’ll be okay.” She assured him, hoping she hadn’t just made a promise she might end up breaking, cupping the back of his neck to press her forehead against his. “Come on, time to go.”

Tyler didn’t move, just nodded, wanting to stay with her like this forever and knew that wasn’t an option. “As you wish, beautiful.” He kissed her one last long lingering time, pouring everything he currently felt for her into it and finally pulled away when both of them needed oxygen.

Why did that feel like a potential goodbye kiss? Simone frowned, not liking the thought of cutting ties with Tyler and slipped into the car after Tyler opened her door. She buckled up while he got in the driver’s side, silence developing between them, each in their own thoughts about the tense conversation they were about to have. Simone knew Olivia would be upset with her for divulging the reason why they were in Mystic Falls, but couldn’t back out of this now.

Tyler pulled into a nearby park a few minutes later and guided Simone across the playground down to a small grassy hill area, which lead to a small lake. “I come here a lot to think and mull things over.” He admitted, sitting down in one of his favorite spots under one of the willow trees, pulling Simone down to sit in front of him.

“It’s beautiful.” She quietly said, leaning back against his chest as soon as Tyler wrapped his arm around her waist, looking back at him. “So, should I start?”

“Only if you want to.” Tyler wasn’t pressuring her, deciding if she didn’t want to tell him the reason for her being in Mystic Falls, he wouldn’t force her.

The vampires would have to get over it.

“I do.” Shifting, Simone sat between Tyler’s on her knees and took his hands in hers, needing as much support as possible to get through this, taking a deep shaky breath. “Olivia and I grew up next door to each other practically. Our parents were best friends and we were both homeschooled together. Anyway, a couple weeks ago, her parents…died.” Squeezing his hands, Simone could already feel the tears sliding down her cheeks and knew if she didn’t continue, she wouldn’t be able to get through this. “There was faulty wiring in their house and…it caused an explosion. Olivia was in Atlanta at the time and I’m very thankful she was because I don’t know what I would’ve done if I lost her along with the people I considered my second parents.”

Tyler didn’t say anything, just letting her continue and held her gaze to show she had his undivided attention.

“A few days ago, Olivia had a meeting with her parents’ lawyer and…he revealed something Maggie and Martin had kept from her.” Simone suddenly released his hands and wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing her arms to get rid of the sudden chills rushing through her. “Olivia was adopted, Tyler. She was adopted when she was a baby by the Jackson’s. Maggie wrote her a letter telling her everything she had to know and where to look for her biological family. They’re supposedly in Mystic Falls, which is why we’re here.”

“To find her biological family.” He murmured, the pieces coming together and Tyler couldn’t believe he thought these two women were out to hurt the town. “I’m sorry for what happened to you and Olivia.” His tone was sincere and soft, reaching out to wipe her tears away with the pads of his thumbs. “I can’t imagine what she’s going through right now.”

“She’s so strong.” Simone sniffled, allowing Tyler to pull her fully into his arms so he could wrap her up in his warmth, the chills slowly subsiding. “She just found out a few days ago she was adopted and already she’s searching for the truth. I don’t know if I could do what she’s doing. If I would have the courage to face people that I was related too by blood, but have never met before.” Granted, Simone had to stop Olivia several times from running away from the truth, but that didn’t take away her unbelievable valor.

“Who is her family?” Tyler asked after a few minutes of silence between them, running his fingers feather lightly up and down her back, her head resting on his chest. “Maybe I can help you find them, if they’re still around.”

Simone chewed her bottom lip and slowly pulled back to stare in his dark eyes, slowly shaking her head. “It’s not my place, Tyler. I know I promised I’d tell you everything and I honestly have, but…that really isn’t something I can tell you, not without Olivia’s permission first.” She hoped he wasn’t angry with her, but Simone had to draw the line somewhere when it came to exposing Olivia’s personal information.

“Fully understood.” Tyler smiled, letting her know he wasn’t mad and already had enough information that clearly told him the women weren’t in Mystic Falls to stir up trouble. “I guess it’s my turn huh?”

“Only if you want to.” She echoed his earlier words, kissing him softly. “I don’t scare away easily, Mr. Lockwood. Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

Tyler wasn’t sure about that, though he couldn’t help believing every word she said just by the pure truth shining in her jade eyes. “You sure about that?” He rumbled, shutting his eyes for a moment and felt her nod, very slowly opening them.

“What the…?”

Dark brown eyes had suddenly turned into a deep molten amber gold. Tyler waited with bated breath as Simone stared bewildered at him, wondering what was going through her mind. He watched as her head lowered, a deep frown crossing his face and knew he made a mistake revealing to her his secret. That was until her head lifted; their eyes locking again, only he wasn’t staring into jade eyes anymore.

They were the same molten amber gold as his.

Chapter 14

“Olivia doesn’t know.”

All Tyler could do was sit there in shock with a gaping mouth, hardly believing what he was seeing and hearing. Then something suddenly occurred to him. Simone’s skin never once felt chilly like other women Tyler had been with did. All of his ex-girlfriends complained of his body heat, though they didn’t know the real reasoning behind it and Tyler didn’t bother telling them. Now everything was so much clearer to him and Tyler grabbed Simone’s hand, sliding it beneath his shirt to rest over his beating heart, inhaling sharply when their body temperatures were the same.

“This is…unbelievable…” That wasn’t the word to use, but Tyler honestly couldn’t think straight, his eyes never leaving hers, both of them still swirling with molten gold. “How…?”

“That is a very long story.” Olivia bit her bottom lip and removed her hand from under Tyler’s shirt, slowly standing up from the grass. “Sorry, I explain things better if I’m standing.”

Tyler looked up at her expectantly, not blaming her for being nervous about this, even though they were the same kind. “I’m…” He held his finger up in a one second gesture when his cell phone buzzed and pulled it out to check the message. “Damn it!!”

“What?” Simone blinked as Tyler shot to his feet, wondering what happened. “What’s got your fur ruffled?”

“It’s Olivia.” Tyler practically spit out, anger radiating off every part of his huge body, using his freedom of speech and started cussing violently. “That no good SON OF A BITCH!!”

Now Simone began panicking, snatching Tyler’s phone away from him and felt her jaw drop at the text message. “He WHAT?!” Her voice thundered throughout the park and it was a good thing nobody was there or else they would’ve jumped about five feet in the air. “THAT NO GOOD DICK!!”

Tyler growled, snatching his phone back from her and shoved it hastily in his pocket, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Damon has tried figuring out your reason for being in Mystic Falls and he lost his patience today…with Olivia.” He was going to tear Damon apart for hurting an innocent woman, especially after hearing everything that had happened to Olivia recently.

“We have to get back, Tyler.” Simone felt wave after wave of guilt crash over her, forcing tears to sting her eyes. “I never should’ve left. I should’ve been there to protect her…” She walked away from Tyler and jogged toward his car, not wasting another second.

They had to get back to Mystic Falls immediately.

Tyler sighed heavily, his time with Simone officially cut short because of Damon Salvatore’s temper. He had to calm down before he ended up driving them right into a tree or something. Being a werewolf, they could only transform on a full moon and tonight wasn’t one. Damon was officially the luckiest man in the universe because, had it been a full moon, Tyler would’ve killed him without thinking twice about it.

A few minutes later, Tyler drove away from the park and headed on the highway that lead straight back to Mystic Falls, a very worried Simone in the passenger seat.

~!~

Matt and Bonnie helped Olivia inside Elena’s small two bedroom apartment and sat her gently on the couch, being careful. “Get some ice for her throat, Matt.” Bonnie ordered, looking up when Elena walked inside moments later and stood up, gesturing her to the dining room.

“What?” Elena asked impatiently, needing to check on Olivia. “What is it?”

“Her throat is really swollen, Elena.” Bonnie looked genuinely worried, looking over her shoulder at the woman on the couch and back at her best friend. “Damon nearly crushed her vocal cords, she can’t talk.”

Elena shut her eyes, already knowing where Bonnie was going with this. “She doesn’t know…”

“I realize that, but…the swelling could potentially close her throat up completely and she’d die of suffocation. The ice won’t be enough.” Bonnie wasn’t about to let another innocent life be taken at the hands of Damon Salvatore, dark eyes determined.

“Fine.” Elena knew it was the right thing to do, nodding. “Go ahead, do it. Heal her. I’ll explain to her everything that’s going on.”

Bonnie sighed with inner relief, thankful Elena was on the same page as her. “We have to do it quickly.” She cautioned, already walking back into the living room and frowned at how pale Olivia looked.

Olivia looked up at the dark skinned woman before moving her amber gaze to Elena Gilbert, her niece, wincing when she tried swallowing. “I know, it’s going to be okay.” Elena said, sitting down on the couch beside Olivia and took her hand, squeezing it gently. “I didn’t want to have to do it this way, but we need to do this fast.” Olivia blinked, not understanding. “Bonnie is a witch and she’s going to heal you now.”

Alarm bells instantly started going off in Olivia’s head when she heard that, eyes widening as far as they could, shaking her head. Elena sighed and nodded at Bonnie, knowing Olivia would need proof before she allowed the healing to commence. Within mere seconds that felt like dragging minutes, Bonnie had slit one of the feather pillows open she’d grabbed from Elena’s bedroom and feathers were levitating all around them. Olivia was in awe, gaping in shock and looked up at Elena, wondering if she was a witch as well.

As if reading her mind, Elena smiled softly and shook her head. “No I’m not, Bonnie is the only one in Mystic Falls.”

“That we know of at least.” Matt chimed in, sitting on the other side of Olivia while his brilliant girlfriend worked her magic. “I know it’s hard to believe, but…”

“Will you let me heal your throat?” Bonnie asked, cutting Matt off and injected some urgency in her tone, hoping Olivia complied.

Olivia touched her necklace, shutting her eyes momentarily and slowly nodded, silent tears sliding down her cheeks. The memory of Damon throttling her would be forever branded in her mind, especially the rage and coldness in his eyes. Shivering involuntarily, Olivia wiped her tears away and took the tissue Matt handed her, cracking a half-smile as a way of thanking him.

“Elena, I need as many candles as you have and I need Olivia to lie on the couch because she has to relax as much as possible.” Bonnie instructed, nodding when Matt went to go help Elena scrounge up as many candles as possible. “Just lay back and relax your mind, this won’t hurt at all, but you’ll feel a very warm sensation in your throat. That’ll be me healing you. Do you understand?”

Olivia nodded, doing as she was told and stared up at the ceiling, the tears not stopping. She knew better than to get involved with a strange man like Damon Salvatore and now suffered the consequences. It’d been a very long time since she’d been with a man and Olivia trusted Damon enough to do the deed with him. She was nothing more than a common streetwalker, especially jumping into bed with him after only knowing each other a day and a half.

“Scoot down just a little so I have enough room to sit by your head.” Bonnie knew it was an odd request and smiled when Olivia did, sitting beside her. “Now close your eyes and breathe in and out as even as you can. I know it’s going to be difficult with your throat.”

Closing her eyes, Olivia kept her arms at her sides and was perfectly still, chest rising and falling a little fast, but gradually it started slowing down. It helped that Bonnie rubbed her temples to help relax her even more. Elena and Matt walked in a few minutes later and began surrounding Olivia with candles, circling the couch completely and put a few on the coffee table. Bonnie nodded when she saw how many they had, smirking at her boyfriend and then instantly closed her eyes, going into a trance.

“Breathe in and out slowly, remember what I said, Olivia.” Bonnie murmured, feeling her nod once and suddenly held her hand over the injured area, starting to chant.

Olivia had no idea what Bonnie was saying, but it was working as she felt heat form in her head and slowly traveled down her face. The small lacerations Olivia endured when Damon put his fist through her window closed up, no scars left behind. Finally, the heat arrived at her throat and Olivia continued breathing evenly, though she did grip the couch cushion since the sensation scared her momentarily.

Bonnie reached a crescendo, the flames of the candles sprouting dangerously around them, the lights flickering a little, before everything calmed at once, the candles no longer lit. “It’s done.” She felt Matt wrap his arm around her shoulders, leaning against him and breathed heavily since that spell had taken a lot out of her.

“How do you feel, Olivia?” Elena promptly asked, watching as her eyes slowly fluttered open and secretly hoped Bonnie’s spell worked. “Are you okay?”

“Yes.” Olivia spoke, sounding completely normal and blinked as stray tears slid down her face, clutching her throat. “There’s no pain. I’m completely healed…” She was perplexed, rubbing the back of her neck, every part of her body feeling normal. “That’s…incredible.”

Elena chuckled along with her friends, agreeing wholeheartedly. “She is, we’re just the people who help her out with what she needs.” She grinned at Bonnie, who flushed slightly and patted Olivia’s hand reassuringly. “You must be hungry, how about I whip us up something to eat?”

“I-I’m not really that-”

“No need to do that, Elena.” A gentle voice sounded behind them, causing all four individuals to turn around to face whoever walked inside.

“Jenna, you are a lifesaver.” Elena stood up and walked over, hugging her Aunt tightly around the neck. “Thank you. I take it you got my message?”

Jenna nodded, running a hand through her hair. “Yeah, I rushed over from the campus to check on you and make sure everything was okay.” She was currently going to college for a degree in therapy. “Luckily, I wasn’t doing anything too important. Are you okay?”

“You should be asking her that.” Elena gestured to the woman standing in the living room. “Olivia, this is Jenna Sommers, my wonderful Aunt. Jenna, this is…”

“O-Olivia.” She swallowed hard, forcing her feet to move toward the woman with light burnt orange hair, extending a shaking hand. “Jenna Sommers, you said?”

“Yes.” Jenna beamed, shaking the auburn beauty’s hand briefly before heading into the kitchen. “I hope you guys don’t mind Chinese, it was the fastest thing I could think of.”

“That’s great, thanks Jen!” Matt crowed, hugging Jenna next and started pulling the dishes from the cabinet while Elena retrieved some silverware.

They looked like a happy family, which broke Olivia’s heart into pieces, fresh tears stinging her eyes. “I really should go…”

“Why?” Elena frowned, looking up from opening one of the containers of food. “There’s plenty here for everyone. You need to relax and chill out. Besides, we need to have a talk about what happened with Damon.”

“No, I really should go.” Olivia had to get out of there, not able to stop the tears from sliding down her cheeks. “I shouldn’t be here…” What had she been thinking coming here to destroy these people’s lives?

“Yes you should, Livi.”

Olivia whipped around at the sound of Simone’s voice behind her, gritting her teeth. “No, I really don’t think I should, Simone.” The anger shining in her eyes clearly told Simone that Olivia was not happy with her abandonment.

“Livi…”

“No.” Olivia held her hand up, stopping Simone from saying another word. “How the HELL was your day, SIM? Would you like to know how mine went? For starters, I ended up getting attacked by the man I slept with the previous night and had my car window shattered by his FIST. Then he proceeded to nearly CRUSH my throat with his hand because apparently he thinks we’re here to hurt HER.” She threw a thumb over her shoulder at Elena, hating that she showed weakness in front of all these people. “So while you were out screwing around and doing god knows what with this moron,” She paused, shooting a deadly glare in Tyler Lockwood’s direction. “I’ve been having one of the WORST days of my damn life!! So thanks for abandoning me, SIS, I REALLY appreciate it!!”

Simone lowered her head as Olivia stalked past her, tears falling and knew everything Olivia just said was the truth. She had chosen Tyler over her best friend. At the time, Simone didn’t think it was a huge deal, but now that Olivia ended up nearly throttled to death by a man, Simone had nobody to blame except herself.

“Simone, she’s just angry and confused.” Tyler crooned, placing a hand on her shoulder and sighed when she shrugged him off.

“No, she’s right. What the hell was I thinking? I chose you, a guy I don’t even know, over someone I consider a sister.” Simone felt sick to her stomach and backed away from Tyler, shaking her head. “I have to go find her before she ends up hurt again.”

Tyler frowned and watched as Simone flew out of the apartment, slamming the door shut behind her and could feel his heart breaking into a million pieces. He wanted to go after her and make her see that them coming to Mystic Falls wasn’t a coincidence, that he wasn’t just ‘some guy’. He was just like her, in every way, and Tyler would do whatever necessary to make her eyes open to the reality of things.

“What the hell was THAT about?” Jenna had to ask, looking over at Elena, who looked guilty as well. “Elena, care to explain it?”

Elena looked back at her Aunt and sighed, not having a choice and sat down at the island. “Damon thought Olivia and Simone were here to hurt me because of all the other outsiders coming into Mystic Falls lately.” Sometimes, Elena wished she’d never laid eyes on Stefan because now she had two overprotective mongrels that didn’t know limitations. “I feel so bad, this is my entire fault…”

“No it’s not.” Jenna said, walking around the island to wrap her arms around Elena, kissing her forehead. “It’s not your fault, sweetie. So I’m assuming the attack happened at the grill, which is why you texted me and told me to get over here as soon as possible?”

Elena nodded, leaning her head against Jenna’s chest and tried keeping her tears in. “They’re not here to hurt me. I wish they could see that.” She whispered, suddenly feeling drained from the day’s events and closed her eyes, trying to steal a moment of tranquility.

“Elena?”

Her eyes opened to stare at an enraged Tyler, swallowing hard. “Yeah?”

“I hope you have a burial plot planned for Damon because, when I’m done with him, he’ll never hurt anyone again, living or dead.”

Everyone cringed at Tyler’s ominous words, the front door slamming shut so hard, the walls shook and pictures on the walls rattled moments later.

Chapter 15

Olivia had no idea where she was going and didn’t care, the sun slowly beginning to descend on the horizon. She couldn’t believe the day she had and all she wanted was time alone. Jenna Sommers was alive and lived here, which is what Olivia had hoped for, so why was she suddenly regretting leaving Atlanta?

Granted, nearly having her throat crushed by a man she had sex with didn’t help matters, but that was a risk Olivia took. It was her decision to sleep with Damon, to open herself fully to him and surrender willingly. Damon was so kind, gentle and passionate, worshipping every inch of her body.

Of course it was too good to be true.

No man was ever that sweet and attentive without having an ulterior motive, which was finding out her reasoning for being in Mystic Falls. Elena was protected by them for a reason and Olivia had a feeling that’s exactly what her niece wanted to discuss. As much as Olivia’s curiosity burned, she couldn’t face her biological family, not with everything else that transpired that day. A bath and bed is all Olivia wanted and she suddenly froze, fresh tears sliding down her cheeks.

All of her belongings were back at the mansion.

“Damn it.” She whispered, tearing a hand through her hair, which was down from the clip she’d had it in earlier. “What the hell am I gonna do now?”

“Liva.”

Every part of her tensed at the voice behind her and Olivia didn’t turn to face him, crossing her arms in front of her chest. What did he want? Hadn’t Damon done enough to her for one night? She was terrified, fighting the nearly irresistible urge to run away and simply kept her feet planted on the sidewalk. If he came too close, Olivia would run, wiping her tears away hastily from her cheeks.

Damon frowned, feeling how much fear emitted from her and knew undoubtedly it was because of what he did to her. He had stood outside of Elena’s apartment building and listened to everything that happened. Hurting Olivia physically wasn’t part of his plan, not until he found out the truth about her anyway, so he felt somewhat guilty for what he did. He never meant to nearly crush Olivia’s throat, thankful to the witch and her juju for healing her. In the past hundred and seventy two years on this earth, Damon never felt as guilty as he did staring at this fragile woman who had somehow bewitched him with her own juju.

“Liva.” He now stood right behind her, his breath puffing on her neck through her beautiful slightly curled auburn hair. “Look at me.”

“No.” She whispered, trembling uncontrollably because of how close he was. “Go away, Damon.”

“We both know that’s not what you want.” He crooned soothingly, reaching his hand up to gently move her hair to the side, revealing her supple neck. “Because if you did,” Pausing, Damon snaked an arm around her waist, pressing her back against his chest as the chilly night air flowed over them, his mouth resting by her ear. “You’d be running and fighting me by now.”

It was the truth and Olivia hated him for it, not moving a single inch. “Why? So I can give you a reason to hurt me some more?” She hissed through clenched teeth, the only way for her to speak without chattering from how hard she shook.

Damon shut his eyes, that guilt once again threatening to consume him. “I won’t hurt you, Olivia.” He meant that, sighing when she still didn’t move to do anything and buried his face in her neck, inhaling her mango scent. “Look at me. I need to tell you something and I want to look in your eyes when I do it.”

Swallowing hard, Olivia figured the sooner she did what Damon wanted, the sooner he’d leave her alone and slowly turned until tear-filled swollen amber eyes met repentant electric blue. “What?” She whispered with his arm still around her waist.

This wasn’t easy for Damon to say, so he hoped Olivia appreciated what he was about to say. “I’m sorry for hurting you, Olivia.” Did he just apologize to a measly human girl that he could snap like a twig in two seconds? Yes, yes he did and the worst part was, he meant it. “It wasn’t my intention when I came to see you at the grill. Stefan sent me a text saying I had to get to you. He didn’t elaborate, so I thought…something bad happened that you did. I was wrong. I never should’ve put my hands on you and I’ll replace your broken window. Hell, I’ll buy you a brand new car because you didn’t deserve what happened today and I was a complete dick. I tend to act without thinking a lot and…I was only trying to protect the town and the people in it.”

“Why would you…?” Olivia suddenly stopped and shook her head, sniffling. “It doesn’t matter, never mind.”

“No, what is it?” Damon pressed, taking a chance and cupped her face, forcing her eyes to meet his again. “Ask me anything and I’ll tell you the truth. You deserve an explanation and I’ll give it to you.” Anything to make Olivia forgive him for hurting her, Damon would do it and not think twice.

“Why would you think that I did something bad? I’m not here to hurt anyone, Damon, and if you would’ve simply asked me when we first met instead of trying to sneak around to find the truth, I would’ve told you. But you were so hell bent on believing that we were actually here to harm people, Elena in particular.” She watched his eyes narrow slightly at the mention of her niece’s name, which made her more curious.

Damon snorted, releasing her abruptly and folded his arms in front of his chest. “Would you tell me the truth if I did ask you from the beginning?” He demanded, black eyebrows furrowing while waiting for her answer.

“If you asked me if I was here to hurt someone or cause damage, of course. As far as my reason for being here, that’s none of your business. That’s nobody’s business except mine and Simone’s.” It would stay that way because Olivia refused to divulge that personal information to someone as volatile as Damon Salvatore.

“I accept that.” Damon rumbled, her fear suddenly mixing with sadness and pain that nearly drove him to his own knees. “You do realize keeping whatever is bottled up inside of you will only tear you apart, right?” He knew that better than anyone.

Snorting, Olivia wiped the rest of her tears away and shrugged. “And what do you suggest I do? It won’t change anything; it won’t make me feel better. You expect me to just tell you my pathetic sob story, fall into your arms and use your shoulder to cry on?” Of course he did, Damon apparently enjoyed hearing and feeling people’s torment, using it to his advantage. “Last night was a relapse in judgment. Trust me when I say this, it WON’T happen again.”

Before Damon could prove her wrong, he heard footsteps coming closer to them, those electric blue eyes locking with citrine. “We’ll see about that, Liva.” He suddenly yanked her into his arms and planted a rough passionate kiss on her lips, feeling her struggle and fight against him at first.

Just when Olivia stopped fighting and began melting in his arms, Damon abruptly pulled away and vanished before her eyes could fully open. “Damn him!!” She cursed; kicking a rock on the sidewalk angrily and already felt the fresh hot tears slide down her face.

“Livi!”

Why couldn’t people leave her alone tonight? “I’m not in the mood, Simone.” Olivia grunted, her entire body burning and aching with need after that kiss from Damon, lips still tingling.

“I know you’re not, but we have to talk anyway.” Simone stated, standing behind her. “Look, you have every right to be mad at me. I don’t know what I was thinking choosing a complete stranger over you.”

Deep down, that was a lie because Simone knew exactly why she’d chosen to stay with Tyler. Even before he told her his secret about being a werewolf, Simone could smell the scent all over him, which intensified everything she felt. She’d never been around another werewolf, let alone with one, and Tyler’s scent was so intoxicating it made her heady, clouding her judgment. Simone couldn’t say any of that though, not until Olivia knew the truth about everything, which included how their friendship really came to be.

“You were thinking about getting laid and having a distraction.” Olivia said bitterly, slowly turning around to face her friend once she was sure the swelling of her lips had gone down. “Just like I was with Damon. The only difference is, I would never choose a man over you, not even if it was the greatest sex on the planet.” With Damon, it was near perfection and definitely the best sex she’d ever had in her life. “I get it, okay? I just…I needed you today and you weren’t there for me. But then again, you shouldn’t have to be. You should be able to go out with anyone you want, have fun and not worry about me or what I’m doing. I was wrong to snap on you back there, Sim.” She heaved a sigh, lowering her eyes to the ground. “A lot has happened today and…everything became too much to handle and I blew up at the one person who’s been there for me since day one. I’m sorry.”

Simone instantly pulled Olivia into her arms, hugging her close and closed her eyes, feeling the hot tears beating down on her shoulder. “No need to apologize, I should’ve been there for you. If I was, none of this would’ve happened and Damon would’ve never put his hands on you. I failed you, Livi, and I’m so sorry. It’ll never happen again though. From now on, you come first and everyone else, including Tyler, can go to hell.” That was painful to say, but Simone couldn’t put Olivia’s safety in jeopardy again, her blood boiling at the thought of what Damon had done.

“Damon didn’t mean to do it.” Did Olivia just defend him? “I mean…”

Breaking the hug, Simone stared at Olivia like she’d just grown a second, possibly third, head. “What do you mean he ‘didn’t mean to do it’? Olivia, he nearly crushed your throat because he lost his temper! Because he thought we were here to harm Elena Gilbert!” On the drive back from the diner, Simone demanded to use Tyler’s phone and called Stefan, who informed her of everything that happened. “You’re seriously going to stand here and defend him?!”

It was the kiss; it had to be because Olivia wasn’t thinking clearly and brought her fingers up to brush against her lips. “He apologized and-”

“Wait, what? What do you mean he apologized? When did you see him? Where is he?” The questions fired out of Simone’s mouth one after another, causing Olivia’s eyes to widen. “What happened?”

“Before you found me, he did first…” Olivia sat down on the curb, feeling her knees weaken and looked across the way into the park. “He apologized for hurting me and said he never meant to do it. Stefan sent him a vague text message and Damon thought I did something bad. That’s why they’ve been fishing around trying to figure out why we’re here. They thought we were here to hurt…Elena…and the town.” Her voice cracked when she said her niece’s name, the pain still very real and fresh.

“But why would they think that?” Simone groaned, suddenly remembering that Tyler hadn’t told her everything he wanted because they’d been interrupted by Stefan’s text message. “So what happens now?” She sank down on the curb beside Olivia, placing her head in her hands.

Olivia didn’t answer for a long while; all the anger drained from her system and all she felt was sadness. “We go back to Atlanta and get on with our lives.” She finally said after ten minutes of pure silence, standing. “At least, that’s what I’m going to do. You don’t have to follow me everywhere I go, Sim. You do what’s best for you and if that’s Tyler Lockwood, then be happy.”

“No.” Simone knew exactly what Olivia was trying to do and it wasn’t happening, not while she was around at least. “Livi, you’ve made it this far and now you know your sister is alive. Jenna is only a few blocks away, along with your niece. Your biological family is here, don’t run away now.”

Sniffling, Olivia shook her head and backed away from Simone, blinking as huge tears slid down her face. “I’m not telling them who I am.” When jade eyes shot almost out of their sockets, Olivia held a hand up before Simone could start berating her. “No, just listen to me and hear what I’m saying. They are happy and I refuse to destroy that. I won’t come into their lives and screw everything up for them. They can go on with their lives without ever knowing who I am, I don’t care anymore. I just want to get the hell out of this place and back home to Atlanta. I’m leaving in the morning and you don’t have to come with me if you don’t want to. It’s up to you, Sim.”

Simone hoped it wouldn’t have to come to this, for her to actually tell Olivia the truth, but there was no alternative. “Livi, I have to tell you something that’s probably going to completely freak you out and make you run for the hills, but…I have to. I didn’t want you to ever know about this. Your parents…” She watched as Olivia’s eyebrow slowly rose and Simone had to take a deep breath because she knew she’d been rambling. “Let’s go for a walk in the woods and I’ll tell you everything.”

“The woods?” What was wrong with just saying where they were? “Sim, you’re already starting to freak me out. What do you mean you have to tell me something? What are you hiding from me?” Olivia suddenly demanded, feeling the betrayal sweeping over and pursed her lips tightly together. “What about my parents?”

Simone sighed heavily and went to open her mouth, when they both heard a voice from behind. “Not here, Simone.” It was a deep baritone and Simone instantly shut her eyes, knowing exactly who it was.

“Tyler…”

“No, not here.” He’d overheard every word from their conversation and Tyler had swallowed down his shock long enough to stop Simone. “We need to do this privately, not out in the open with prying eyes and ears. Let’s go back to Elena’s.” His dark eyes turned to Olivia. “Elena wants to talk to you about a few things. And I know it’s not my place to tell you what to do about this, but I’m gonna give you my advice anyway. Elena has lost a lot in her life and she’s a good friend of mine, a best friend actually. She would be happy to find out who you are and why you’re in Mystic Falls. She would welcome you with open arms and not think twice about it, Jenna too. But that’s just my opinion, you do what you want. I promise to keep my mouth shut and I’m sorry for eavesdropping, it wasn’t intentional.”

Olivia could only blink at Tyler, swallowing hard and slowly moved her gaze to Simone, tears continuously flowing. “Sim…”

“It’s time to stop running, Livi.” Simone grabbed her hand and squeezed encouragingly, a sad smile crossing her lips. “Don’t run away, please. I’ll tell you everything, we’ll hear what Elena has to say and if you still want to go back to Atlanta afterwards, I won’t stop you. But face the truth first.”

As much as Olivia didn’t want to do it, she knew she had too. “Okay.” She whispered, nodding and walked down the sidewalk with Simone and Tyler, hoping she was doing the right thing.

So many questions were about to be answered, along with a few revelations, and Olivia could only pray she was strong enough to handle all of it.

Chapter 16

Before walking back inside Elena’s apartment, Olivia stopped both Simone and Tyler, taking a deep breath. “I’m not going to tell them tonight.” She squeezed Simone’s hand when she went to protest, amber eyes pleading with her to comply. “I will do it, but I want to do it on my terms. I’m going to pay Jenna a visit tomorrow and I’ll tell her then. I don’t want Elena knowing yet.”

“Why not?” Simone had to ask, raising a brow and wondered what it was about Elena Gilbert that made Olivia so tense.

“Because she wants to do it on her terms.”

All three individuals turned their heads at the sound of that voice, both Tyler and Simone tensing instantly. “Damon.” Olivia went to walk toward him, only for Simone to stop her, frowning. “Sim…”

“No.” There was no way in hell Simone was allowing Damon near her best friend, not after what he did to her. “He hurt you, Livi, remember? He would’ve KILLED you had it not been for Bonnie Bennett’s magic!”

“He apologized…”

“I don’t give a damn if he got down on his knees and kissed your ass!” Simone snapped, glaring hatefully at Damon, acid filling her normally warm emerald eyes. “Stay away from her, bloodsucker.”

“Bloodsucker? Really?” Damon snorted, shaking his head with a cold smirk crossing his lips. “This isn’t Twilight, foolish girl, and you’re WAY out of line.” His eyes locked with Simone’s suddenly, starting the compulsion. “You-”

“Nice try idiot, but that doesn’t work on me. Never did.” Simone informed him with a smile, pulling a perplexed Olivia to stand between her and Tyler, blocking her.

Damon’s eyes narrowed, not believing he’d been tricked and was tempted to rip her heart out of her chest. “You deserve an academy award for your performance. Well played.” He muttered, taking a step toward them, but didn’t attack. “I’m not going to hurt her. You need to let her make her own decision.”

“Sim…” Olivia tried again, only for Simone to cut her off by shaking her head. “I’m a big girl and I believe him when he says he won’t hurt me.”

“You don’t know anything about him, Olivia.” Tyler chimed in, ignoring Damon’s glare that landed on him, focusing his attention on Simone’s friend. “If you did…”

“I’ll deal with it.” Olivia cut him off this time, shoving past both after extracting her arm from Simone’s vise grip. “He won’t hurt me.”

Simone felt helpless as she watched Olivia walk away from her toward Damon Salvatore, thrusting her arm out to stop Tyler from going after Olivia. “We’re right here in case he tries anything.”

Damon heard that and didn’t respond, his aquamarine eyes locked on Olivia. “Glad to know you still have some kind of trust in me.” It actually bewildered him considering he could’ve easily killed her just hours ago, but he wasn’t going to bring that up.

“I don’t have any trust in you.” Olivia said, folding her arms in front of her chest and stood five feet away from him, keeping her guard up. “What are you doing here, Damon?”

“Now that’s a lie and we both know it, Liva.” Damon took a step toward her, testing the waters to see if she would back away and was pleased when she stood her ground. “Because if you didn’t trust me, you would be listening to your…protector.” He practically hissed that last word out, his voice carrying to Simone and Tyler.

“Just because I’m standing here and not by them doesn’t mean I trust you.” Olivia informed him evenly. “Now I’m only asking you one more time. What are you doing here?”

“So serious and stern.” He crooned, standing in front of her one second and the next behind her, running his fingers through her hair. “You’re not running away from me, so that shows some kind of trust.”

Olivia hated he was right and shut her eyes, clenching her fists tightly. “Keep telling yourself that.” Why couldn’t she say that without the tremor in her voice?

“I’m here to take you away.” His mouth hovered over her ear and it sent involuntary shivers down Olivia’s spine. “I overheard your heart to heart with Simone and I’m here to tell you that you shouldn’t be pressured to tell them if you’re not ready.” He now stood in front of her again, watching as those beautiful citrine orbs fluttered open. “I also know what Elena wants to tell you and I think it would be best if you heard it from me instead of her.”

“How…?” Olivia watched as Damon extended his hand and swallowed hard, wondering if going with him was the right thing to do. “What do you mean you know what she wants to tell me?”

“Because it’s about me and my brother.” Damon answered simply, waving his fingers tantalizingly at her. “You know you can trust me and you also know you want to come with me because your curiosity is burning a hole inside of you right now. You can find out whatever Simone wants to tell you later. Come with me and find out the truth.”

“What makes you think I’ll go with you? Besides the curiosity burning, which it is.” She admitted, breathing a little heavier since Damon had this uncanny ability of making her breathless with his words.

“You’re not ready to tell Elena and Jenna who you are.” His hand stayed extended and Damon didn’t move from the spot he stood, waiting patiently. “You can deal with that mess tomorrow.”

He made it sound so simple, even though it wasn’t, and Olivia had to admit his offer intrigued her. Grabbing her necklace, Olivia chewed her bottom lip and slowly looked over her shoulder at a worried Simone, feeling completely torn. Then, the resentment of what Simone did to her kicked in and, before Olivia knew what she was doing, her hand slid into Damon’s.

“I’m not ready, Sim.”

“Olivia, don’t!” Simone’s eyes enlarged as Damon walked away with her toward his car, starting to go after her, only for Tyler’s arm to encircle her waist. “We have to stop her! He’ll hurt her, Tyler!”

As much as Tyler wanted to go after Damon, he wouldn’t put Olivia’s life in danger and knew going after them would only put her in the middle. “Let him talk to her for tonight. She’s not ready to tell them and we can’t force her, Simone.” This killed Tyler to side with the vampire, but the pain in Olivia’s eyes made him realize that they had indeed forced her to come to Elena’s.

“He’s going to tell her he’s a vampire.” Simone looked up at Tyler in a panic, tears shining in her eyes. “She’s going to completely freak out because she doesn’t know the truth about me. What if he tells her?!”

“Then you’ll deal with it.” Tyler pulled her into his arms, kissing the top of her head, hoping he did the right thing by stopping Simone from going after Olivia. “We never finished our talk either. We can do that tonight if you’re feeling up to it.”

“No.” Simone pulled away, took one look in his dark eyes and tackled him in the grass, her hungry mouth finding his.

Damon overheard Simone’s concerns, deciding he would let her be the one to tell Olivia her secret. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t realized his compulsion with Simone hadn’t worked, yet she had put in a good word for him like he wanted. Clearly she knew what he was, but trusted him enough to convince Olivia to stay at the mansion instead of at the hotel on the outskirts of town. It didn’t make sense to him; Damon would have to sort it out later and slid into his Camaro, Olivia in the passenger seat.

Before Olivia had a chance to change her mind, Damon drove off down the road, abolishing her only chance of escape. “Where are we going?” She asked when they didn’t head back to the mansion, looking over at him with a frown.

“Somewhere secluded and away from here so we’re not disturbed.” Damon said, glancing at her briefly before turning his eyes back on the road. “Witchy healed you up good, I see.”

“What is this all about?” Olivia was frustrated because it seemed as though everyone was keeping secrets from her.

Damon didn’t answer her and kept driving, the night completely surrounding them. The tension was so thick it couldn’t be cut with a knife, deafening silence surrounding them. All Olivia could do was stare out the window, watching as tree after tree rushed by her in a blur and started thinking of all the possibilities of what could happen tonight. He could be taking her out to the woods where nobody would hear her screams as he brutally murdered her.

What had she been thinking agreeing to go with him?! Olivia’s imagination was running away with her and she had to stop before hyperventilation started. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt Damon’s hand land on her thigh, amber eyes snapping to meet his and was sure her heart would leap out of her chest from how hard it pounded. Damon instantly pulled his hand away, acting as if she just burned him and went back to focusing on the open road.

Twenty minutes later, Damon finally turned left and headed down a dirt road into the woods, parking when they arrived at an open clearing. “Come on.” He ordered gruffly, stepping out of the car and waited for her to get out, leaning against the nearby tree.

Cautiously, Olivia slid out of the car and kept reminding herself to breathe, closing the door with great reluctance. “Where are we?” She asked, out at the grassy area and blinked when Damon just grabbed her hand, guiding her away from the car and into the clearing. “Damon?”

He didn’t stop until they stood right by the water’s edge, a huge lake in front of her that had a small waterfall cascading to the east. Damon released her hand and tore a hand through his hair, suddenly becoming nervous, which was an emotion he did not feel often. What was this woman doing to him? They were at a place where Damon would not only tell her his secret about being a vampire, but everything else that went along with it, including…Katherine.

“I brought you here to tell you a story. The Salvatore family has been around this area for a very long time, dating back to the year 1864.” Damon didn’t turn to face her, knowing he could stop Olivia if she tried running away. “In 1864, Giuseppe Salvatore brought a guest into his home by the name of Katherine Pierce and his sons instantly fell for her. They vied for her affection almost to the point of coming to blows with each other on more than one occasion. But the brothers were closer than that and tried not letting a woman get in the way of their bond, so both resorted to sneaking around with her. She was exquisite…” Even now, it was difficult for Damon to talk about her, but he told Olivia he would reveal the truth to her and he wasn’t going to disappoint. “She had sexual relations with both brothers and…revealed her secret to them.”

When Damon paused, Olivia swallowed hard and stayed exactly where she was, not moving an inch. “What was her secret?” She asked with bated breath, suddenly clenching her necklace as if it would protect her somehow.

Damon slowly turned to face her, his electric blue eyes glinting in the moonlight that shined down on them, the only light they had. “She was a vampire.” His voice had dropped to a quiet murmur, loud enough for her to hear.

A vampire…Did Olivia just hear that right? Damon was actually standing here telling her this story about a vampire? What did this have to do with him and his brother? Granted, the brothers were of Salvatore blood, but…Olivia’s eyes suddenly snapped open to the size of saucers, staring at Damon with a dropped jaw, all the pieces slowly coming together in her head.

He wasn’t talking about just any brothers…he was…Olivia felt her knees buckle and collapsed to the grass, shaking her head. No it was impossible! Vampires didn’t exist…did they? Olivia was so confused, hot tears filling her eyes and suddenly remembered something from her mother’s letter that made her fully believe everything Damon just said was the truth.

Mystic Falls is not a safe place to live, at all. It’s not a place to settle down and have a family.

That necklace that’s around your neck, the one you’ve never taken off since your sixteenth birthday, isn’t just an ordinary necklace.

It will protect you against the evil that is in Mystic Falls.

Evil in Mystic Falls…Olivia began trembling from head to toe, the revelation she currently had completely crushing her. “I-It’s not just a story is it?” It wasn’t a question, Olivia knew the answer and shut her eyes as the tears cascaded down her face like two rapid streams, not releasing her necklace. “M-My mother was…right…”

“Your mother?” Damon questioned, arching a thick black eyebrow in her direction and walked toward her. “What about her?”

Olivia heard the crunching of grass beneath his boots and instinctively backed away, refusing to meet his eyes. “Stay away from me.” She hissed out, wondering how the hell a measly necklace was supposed to protect her from a vampire.

“Liva…”

“NO!!” She screamed, scrambling to her feet and continued backing away from him. “Don’t you dare call me that, you monster!! T-This was your plan all along wasn’t it? To bring me out here in the middle of nowhere and tell me that story before killing me!!” Why hadn’t she listened to Simone?

Damon noticed that Olivia was backtracking right near the water’s edge and he had to stop her before she ended up in the cold water. “Olivia, you have to calm down…” He urged, his eyes not leaving her and hoped she tripped in the grass because that water looked far too cold for a late night swim.

“I don’t have to do anything!” Olivia continued moving backward, knowing running wasn’t an option because he would catch her. “Just do it! Just kill me and get it over with!”

“I don’t want to kill you.” Damon hadn’t expect this type of reaction from her, but wasn’t surprised either. She was only human after all and had been locked away from the outside world, having almost no experiences. “If you keep-”

“That’s a lie!! You-” Olivia’s words cut off when she started falling backward off the edge, just as Damon predicted, and her scream echoed throughout the woods.

Damon flashed forward and grabbed her wrist in midair, using some of his enhanced strength to stop her from crashing into the water. The velocity forced both of them to topple back into the grass with Olivia landing on top of Damon. Shock filled every part of Olivia because she hadn’t expected Damon to actually come to her rescue, shaking harder because that near fall had scared her to death.

“Now,” Damon paused to lift Olivia’s chin up with his thumb and forefinger, forcing those wide terrified amber eyes to meet his, sighing. “If I wanted to kill you, I could’ve just let you go over the edge and drown.” The water was very deep where they were, not to mention the water was incredibly cold.

“I-Uh…” Smirking, Damon knew he had her attention and planned on keeping it, rolling them over to where he hovered over, eye contact never breaking. “Y-You saved me…” Olivia managed to say through tremors, the fear of him replaced with the realization that she could’ve died if it hadn’t been for him because she never learned how to swim.

“I saved you.” Damon nodded; brushing her fresh tears away with the pad of his thumb and could hear how fast her heart beat. “And now I’m going to kiss you.”

As much as Olivia wanted to push Damon away, she simply couldn’t and wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him, kissing him back passionately.

Chapter 17

Once Damon knew Olivia had calmed down, he abruptly pulled his lips from hers, those amber eyes opening to stare into his. It wasn’t easy for her to hear what he was, but Damon knew if he didn’t tell her, Simone would’ve. He wanted Olivia to hear it from his mouth and nobody else’s because, honestly, it was his secret to tell, not a she-wolf’s. Not moving from lying halfway on top of her, Damon ran the pad of his thumb across her cheek, wishing he knew what was going through her mind.

Shell-shocked, Olivia swallowed hard and tried calming her racing heart, moving to sit up a little leaning on her elbows. “T-Thank you…” She whispered, thankful he hadn’t let her fall into the water.

“Couldn’t let you fall into the water now could I?” Damon remarked, reading all the different emotions flashing across her face. “I know you’re afraid of me, but you don’t have to be, Liva. I won’t hurt you.”

“How do I know that?” She shot back, sitting up fully now and forced Damon to sit back on his haunches, not taking her eyes from him.

“Because I just proved it by saving you.”

Olivia couldn’t argue with that even if she wanted to. “Touché.” There were so many questions flitting through her mind and Olivia had no idea where to begin or start.

“Ask me anything you want.” Damon said, giving her the permission she silently wanted. “As long as you’re honest with me, I’ll be honest with you. Sound fair?”

Bending her knees to press against her chest, Olivia wrapped her arms around them and rested her chin, not taking her eyes off of Damon. “So...that story you told me earlier, the brothers you were talking about was you and Stefan…right?” She watched him nod and sucked in a sharp breath, suddenly lowering her eyes from his. “So both of you are…”

“Vampires, yes.” Damon finished softly, pulling his eyes from her to stare out at the calm water of the small lake. “Katherine Pierce made us what we are and gave us immortality.”

“So vampires exist? There are actual things that go bump in the night?” Olivia started getting worked up again and kept breathing through this, though it didn’t stop the few tears from sliding down her cheeks.

“Yes.” Damon hated taking trips down memory lane and it clearly showed in his tense face, his jaw tightening. “And there are far worst things out there than vampires, Liva. Everything you thought as a myth is reality. Witches, vampires, werewolves…” His eyes suddenly moved back to her, those amber orbs widening for the umpteenth time that night.

“W-Werewolves?” What kind of town was this? Why did her biological family live here? Better question, why had her adoptive parents lived here? “I really wish I never left my home.”

“Where is your home?” The question popped out of Damon’s mouth before he could stop it.

Olivia didn’t answer right away, wondering if it was smart to tell him the truth or not. ‘I did agree to be honest with him since he’s being honest with me.’ She thought, reminding herself of the agreement. “Atlanta.” She said after a few minutes of silence, making sure to lock eyes so he knew she was being truthful.

“Been there a few times.” Damon said casually, his leg folded in front of him while the other bent with his elbow resting on it and Olivia couldn’t help thinking how sexy his current stance looked. “Nice place if you live on the outskirts, the city is a little congested for my taste.”

“We did…” The loss of her parents and everything was still very fresh, so it wasn’t easy for Olivia to talk about. “You said the year 1864 is when you were turned, right? So, that would make you 172?” That wasn’t possible, it couldn’t be. He was too gorgeous to be that old!! Did she really have sex with a walking corpse?!

“Correct, though my birthday is coming up in a few months.” Damon chuckled softly, hardly believing he’d been on this earth for 172 years. “Now you’re probably asking yourself what age was I turned.” He didn’t wait for her to respond. “I was 24.”

“How old was Stefan?”

“17.”

Olivia swallowed hard, wondering what it would be like to stay the age of 24 or even 17 forever, to never age. “Were you changed…willingly?” That wasn’t her business, but once again Olivia’s burning curiosity had gotten the better of her.

“Yes.” Damon shut his eyes, clearing his throat roughly. “I was completely in love with Katherine. Before I go into that, there’s something else I need to tell you first. The process to become a vampire isn’t like myths and legends say. You have to first drink a vampire’s blood and then die with the vampire blood in your system. Then when you wake up, you’re in what’s known as ‘transition’ and in order to complete the process; you have to feed on human blood. If you don’t, you die.”

Feeling her jaw fall open, Olivia covered her mouth with her hand, blinking. “A-And you did that willingly?” How the hell could a person agree to actually die in order to gain immortality? Was immortality really that amazing to give up normal human life? “And Stefan did too…”

“No.” Damon shook his head, stopping her before she went into assumptions. “No, he didn’t. Katherine had to compel him to drink her blood for weeks prior to our human death. Stefan was manipulated into everything while I was completely willing because I wanted to be with Katherine, no matter what she was.”

“What do you mean compelled?” Olivia had pulled her hand away from her mouth, once again fingering the charm around her neck.

“Compulsion is a form of mind manipulation where vampires can make humans do virtually anything we want. Such as forcing them to stay calm while we feed or even kill.” The way Damon talked about this was too casual and he knew it, but it was who he was and he gave his word to be brutally honest with Olivia. “There are ways to prevent compulsion though…” His words trailed off and aquamarine eyes locked on her hand that held the necklace laced with vervain.

“What are you looking at?” Olivia frowned, following his gaze down to her necklace and snapped her head back up, confusion filling her eyes. “How can my necklace prevent a vampire from manipulating my mind?” That made absolutely no sense.

Damon smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes and leaned forward to take the charm from hand, holding it tenderly with two fingers. “This is not an ordinary necklace, Olivia. Whoever gave this to you knows about vampires and wanted to protect you against them. Your necklace is laced with an herb called vervain. It’s one weakness against a vampire and can incapacitate them if injected into their system or touched.” He explained, slowly pulling his fingers from her necklace, registering her reaction.

“B-But…then how can YOU touch it if it supposedly hurts vampires?” Olivia sputtered, tearing her eyes from him to look down at the necklace her mother gave her on her sixteenth birthday. Once again, her words rushed through her mind about evil being in Mystic Falls and this necklace would protect her. “Christ…”

“Because I’ve been drinking a small portion of vervain for years and have grown immune to it. It’s an acquired taste…” He made a face, clearly not happy with the thought of ingesting vervain, but it had saved his backside on more than one occasion. “As long as you wear that necklace, you cannot be compelled by any vampire.” Damon remembered something Olivia said before she nearly fell into the water and he had to use his methods to calm her down. “You mentioned your mother earlier,” He paused, once again fingering her necklace briefly before releasing it. “Did she give this to you?”

“Yes.” There was no point in lying to him. “On my sixteenth birthday. She made me promise to never take it off and I never have.”

Damon smirked when he heard that, lying back on the cool soft grass. “And you never asked her why?”

Olivia shook her head, frowning. “No, I just thought that was her subtle way of telling me to cherish it because it was my sweet sixteen birthday gift.” She shrugged, looking down at it and could feel the tears burn her eyes. “Sorry, it’s…hard talking about my Mom…”

“Why?” Damon’s curiosity piqued, especially when he felt waves of pain washing off of her. “What happened to her?”

“She died…” Olivia sniffled, wiping her tears away that started falling, breathing a little heavily. “A few weeks ago…” She didn’t see Damon’s eyes widen because Olivia had buried her face in her knees, not wanting to show any weakness to a vampire.

Damon couldn’t stop from flashing over to her a second later, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and felt her body crumble against him. He stretched his legs out with her sitting between them, rubbing her back up and down soothingly, letting her cry. Olivia hated how weak she was, but couldn’t help embracing Damon’s comfort, the fact he was a vampire surprisingly not bothering her.

“What happened?” Damon asked, his mouth by her ear, after Olivia calmed down a little, not wanting to upset her more than she already was.

“Our family home blew up with my mother and father inside.” Olivia whispered, not wanting her voice to crack and refused to look up at Damon while talking about this. “It was a very old house and there was faulty wiring in the basement that caused the explosion to happen. I was in the city of Atlanta when it happened. We lived on the outskirts in the country. And all I can think about is why I wasn’t in the house when it blew up. Why was my life sparred while theirs had to end violently?” The guilt had gnawed away at Olivia’s insides ever since she pulled up to her destroyed family home that was in shambles now and hearing the police officer telling her that her parents were dead.

That brought Damon to his next question. “So what brought you to Mystic Falls, Virginia of all places?” He probed, moving his hand back up her back to start massaging the back of Olivia’s neck, doing what he could to keep her as calm as possible.

“My mother.”

Olivia abruptly extracted herself from his arms and stood up on shaky legs, pulling something out of her pocket. It was the letter, something she’d carried with her since the day she received it from her parents’ lawyer. No matter how hard Olivia tried, she couldn’t destroy it because it was the last words her mother wanted her to read.

“Damon, I was adopted the day I was born and I just found out a few days ago. My mother left me this letter,” She paused, holding it up and waving it a few times, a few more tears falling. “And told me everything. How they originally lived in Mystic Falls, were born and raised here, even going to Mystic Falls High School. My mother was good friends with a woman named Lucille Sommers and she was in a rocky marriage with a guy named Blake. She had an affair with another man and ended up getting pregnant. Lucille didn’t want Blake knowing about her infidelity and she knew about my mother having trouble conceiving because her and my father had trouble doing it. So they struck a deal.”

Damon sat there listening to every word Olivia said with a straight face, not giving away anything he was thinking or feeling. There was no point in asking what the deal was because Damon already knew due to her confession of being adopted. So she was Lucille Sommers child. That meant…she was related to Jenna Sommers and Elena’s mother, Miranda. He didn’t move to console her, knowing just wiping the tears away would be futile considering the current topic of conversation. Now all Damon wanted to know was Lucille’s stipulations, his eyes slowly starting to narrow.

“Lucille said the Jackson’s could adopt me as long as they left Mystic Falls and never came back. Blake was doing business overseas at the time, so he had no idea about the pregnancy. Her daughters, Jenna and Miranda, had no idea what was happening because they were too young to remember. Jenna and Miranda Sommers are my sisters, but apparently Miranda got married because her name is now Miranda Sommers-Gilbert…” Amber eyes locked with thoughtful aquamarine and Olivia suddenly dropped to her knees in the grass, clutching the letter in front of her. “Is Elena Miranda’s daughter, Damon?”

“Yes.”

Olivia shut her eyes and slowly began folding the letter again, a few teardrops splattering on it. “So she’s my…”

“It’s a little more complicated than that.” Damon said, slowly reaching out to catch one of her teardrops on his finger, wishing there was something he could do to take her pain away. “But she has to be the one to tell you, that’s not my place.”

Olivia did not like the sound of that and slowly looked up at him, getting a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach at Damon’s ominous words. “Damon…”

“Who was your mother, Liva?” He decided to sway the conversation away from Elena for the time being, trying to divert Olivia as much as possible. “What was her name?”

“Margaret, most people called her Maggie.” Olivia answered, wiping her tears away and shoved the letter back in her pocket.

“That’s very vague.” Damon pointed out, scooting closer to her. “What’s her maiden name?”

Why would Damon need to know that? “Hayes. Margaret Hayes. My father’s name was Martin Jackson.”

“I knew them.” Damon nodded; remembering them like it was yesterday and ran a hand through his messy hair. “Martin actually helped renovate our home years ago.” He smiled sadly when Olivia’s eyes widened, moving to sit beside her again. “He was a good man, Liva. Maggie was a sweet woman too, so was your biological mother, Lucille. The town loved them.”

“This feels so weird talking about people I thought I knew and ones I never knew existed until a few days ago.” Olivia muttered, trying to keep the bitterness out of her tone, but it wasn’t working. “I was a baby made out of wedlock, an abomination, and my mother was forced to give me up to her best friend because she didn’t want her husband knowing about her infidelity.” That sounded so disarrayed and, in truth, it was. “I never should’ve come here. All I’m doing is causing pain to good people and turning their lives upside down. What was I thinking?”

“You were thinking you wanted to know who you really are and where you come from, who your blood is. It’s natural to feel that way in the situation you’re in. I don’t know what I would do if I found out Stef and I weren’t brothers.” Damon couldn’t begin fathoming it because he knew his parents deeply loved each other, remembering that much even though he was a small boy when she died. “You can’t run away now, Olivia. You’ve made it this far and they deserve to know about you just as much as you deserve to know about them. It’s not going to be the easiest conversation, but it’s something you will regret and always ask ‘what if’ for the rest of your life if you don’t take a chance. And honestly, what’s the worst that can happen?”

Olivia honestly didn’t think it could get any worse and leaned against Damon, feeling his arm wrap around her shoulders, hating how much sense he made. “I won’t run away. I’ll face it…” She slowly pulled away to look up into his eyes, caressing his face with the back of her hand. “But not until I’m ready.”

“Not a second before then.” Damon stood up, extending his hand to her and smiled when she took it without hesitation, pulling her into his arms fully. “How about we go back to the mansion, pop open something with a high volume of alcohol and let me spend the rest of the night making up what I did to you?”

“You’re already forgiven, Damon, but I can’t turn down that offer either.”

It didn’t matter that Damon was a vampire because, if he wanted to kill her, he would’ve done it already. So there was no point in being afraid of him. She slid into the Camaro and a few minutes later they were on their way back to the mansion. Olivia scooted over across the seat to snuggle against Damon and closed her eyes, feeling more peaceful than she had in weeks.

Chapter 18

The sound of a phone continuously vibrating slowly brought Damon out of his slumber, growling softly. He looked down when he felt movement against his arm, the sight of Olivia nuzzling him breathtaking. Rays of sunshine streamed through the white thin curtains, hitting parts of Olivia that made her radiate even more.

Damon gently brushed away a strand of auburn hair from her face and clenched his teeth when Olivia’s cell phone started vibrating again. Whoever was trying to get a hold of her was relentless, which tempted Damon to crush the annoying device. Grunting, Damon reached over Olivia with his free arm, an evil smirk suddenly crossing his lips.

The touch of Damon’s lips against her throat instantly brought Olivia’s body to life, her hands sliding up his muscular arms to bury in his haphazard black hair. Her body arched against him, lulling her head back against the pillow as he continued trailing his sinful lips down her throat to her collarbone. She was in heaven, moaning to let Damon know she fully enjoyed what he was doing to her.

“Your phone keeps going off.” He rumbled against her skin, reaching up to wave it in front of her face and didn’t stop his assault. “Answer it.” Growling, his mouth captured her nipple and held Olivia down with his forearm against her stomach, preventing her from bucking off the bed.

“H-Have you lost your mind?! Ohhh dear lord…” Olivia groaned out her body completely lighting on fire, glaring at her cell phone when Damon shoved it toward her again. “N-Now?”

Damon nodded, smoldering aquamarine eyes locking with molten gold and pulled away momentarily. “Tell them you’re busy and you’ll call them back.” He ordered and proceeded to capture her other nipple while massaging her previously assaulted breast in his hand.

How did he expect her to answer a phone call at a time like THIS? Olivia was tempted to chuck her phone across the room or out the window, but something told her Damon wouldn’t like that. Whoever was calling had annoyed him to the point where he wanted them to know exactly WHY she hadn’t been able to answer their incessant calls. Flipping open her cell, Olivia held it up to her ear and bit her bottom lip, trying not to moan in the receiver.

“Livi? Where are you? Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?! I’m coming to get you because we have to talk. Livi, are you listening to me?!”

Simone’s ranting made Olivia pull the phone away from her ear. She slapped a hand over her mouth to keep from crying out when Damon suddenly cupped her soaking sex beneath the comforter. That followed with his finger delving into her warm juices and Olivia couldn’t stop from doing a full body shiver.

“S-Sim, now isn’t a good time…” She said breathlessly, eyes flying open when Damon added a second finger, pumping both in and out of her relentlessly. “Ohhh this REALLY isn’t a good time…”

Simone frowned, wondering what was going on with her best friend. “Olivia, we have to talk. It’s very important. Why do you sound breathless? Are you okay? Did that monster do something to you?! I swear, he did I’ll-”

Damon had snatched the phone away from Olivia, not stopping his administrations and put the speakerphone on. “I’m doing something to her right now and she’s THROUGHLY enjoying every second of it. Isn’t that right, Liva?” He chortled roughly when Simone began ranting into the phone again.

“Y-Yes…oh lord yes!! Simone, we’ll t-talk later…” Olivia’s mind clouded in a thick passion haze and she couldn’t think straight, only having one thought in mind, which was she did not want Damon to stop. “Definitely later…”

“Did you get that, Simone?” Damon asked wickedly and didn’t wait for her to respond, simply clicking the phone shut before tossing it over his shoulder. “Now then, where were we?”

For the next few hours, Damon and Olivia lost themselves in each other, soaring to heights only they could reach together. Their lovemaking moved from Damon’s king sized bed to his spacious shower, where they proceeded to wash each other from head to toe. Olivia was in pure euphoria being with Damon and he more than made up for hurting her. Hell, she even forgave him for shattering her car window!

They stepped out of the shower, after another impromptu romp, and Damon handed over a white terry cloth robe. He simply wrapped a towel around his waist, knowing they were completely alone in the mansion and guided her out of the room downstairs toward the kitchen. They were both famished after the strenuous morning/afternoon workout and needed to energize since Damon wasn’t close to being finished with Olivia.

“How about some tacos?” Damon suggested, looking over his shoulder at her while sifting through the refrigerator.

“That sounds great.” Olivia glowed from head to toe, walking over and slid her hands down his muscular back to his waist, her appetite for Damon insatiable.

Damon chuckled, a devious smirk on his lips and pulled out the hamburger meat that Stefan had thawed for a meal he was going to make Elena. Obviously plans had changed, so Damon was going to use it. He set it on the counter, along with some fresh tomatoes, a head of lettuce and a bag of shredded cheddar cheese, salsa and sour cream. This little minx was distracting him and Damon suddenly whipped around, lifting her up, setting her on the counter with blazing aquamarine eyes.

“Woman, you’re making food the last thing on my mind and we both need to eat, especially you.” He chastised, trying to keep the huskiness out of his voice and failed miserably.

Olivia smiled innocently with sparkling amber eyes and reached down to start pulling the tie of her robe free, but Damon stopped her. “I want you, we can eat later.” She murmured, reaching to remove his towel, but once again Damon denied her. “Damon…”

“You’re killing me, Liva.” He groaned, yanking her roughly into his arms and covered her mouth with his, her legs instantly wrapping around his waist. “You’re going to end up dehydrating and passing out if you don’t nourish your body. Because I’m spending the rest of this day making you mine in every single way and you’re going to need your energy.”

Shivering at his words, Olivia caressed his face with the back of her hand and kissed him again. “I look forward to it.” She felt his forehead rest against hers, both of them just holding each other for a few minutes before Damon reluctantly pulled away from her. “Well since you won’t give me what I want until I eat, I’m helping you cook.”

“You don’t-”

“Yes I do.” Olivia interjected, hopping off the counter and grabbed a knife out of the cutlery, grabbing some tomatoes. “You focus on getting the meat ready. Do you have taco seasoning?”

Damon smirked, waving the packet in his hand. “I know how to cook, Liva.”

Being 172 years old, Damon would hope he’d learned a thing or two in the kitchen. He glanced over at how carefully Olivia cut the vegetables and couldn’t believe he even found THAT sexy. What was it about this petite human that had him wanting to be with her in every way possible?

This woman was corrupting him.

“So, what’s on your mind?” Damon asked, deciding having an actual conversation might benefit the relationship that currently built between them.

“A lot.” Olivia admitted, sighing gently and placed the sliced tomatoes to the side. “I need a plate with some paper towels.”

“The plates are above your head, the paper towels are over there,” He pointed at one of the lower cabinets on the left-hand side. “And tell me what you’re thinking.”

Olivia didn’t answer him at first, gathering the things she needed and prepped the plates with the paper towels, setting them in front of her while she continued cutting the tomatoes. “I’m wondering why I’m not afraid of you. You’re a vampire that I spent all of last night, morning and part of this afternoon having sex with. You’re the very ‘evil’ that my mother warned me about, yet, I’ve never felt safer and content being with you. It’s baffling.” He wanted to know, so Olivia had no reason keeping her thoughts and feelings away from him.

Damon agreed with her because he also wondered the same thing about Olivia. Why wasn’t she afraid of him? He could easily rip her to shreds and drain her in seconds. He’d already hurt her and shown his strength, crushing her throat to the point where she would’ve suffocated if it hadn’t been for the witch’s juju. And even after Damon did that to her, here she was helping him cooking and not one ounce of fear could be sensed from her.

“Why aren’t you afraid of me?” He stopped what he was doing and turned around to fully face her, the hamburger meat sizzling in the pan beside him. “I nearly killed you, destroyed your car window and you’re standing here acting like none of that happened.”

“I know it happened, Damon.” Olivia heard the tension in his voice and continued cutting a little faster, not looking at him. “You asked me what was on my mind and I told you. I don’t know why I’m not afraid of you. I should be running as far and fast away from you as I can. I feel safe with you, I can’t explain it. You make me feel like the most beautiful woman on the planet when I’m with you. I can be myself around you and you make my sadness vanish. I just-DAMN!!”

Damon had watched how fast the blade cut through the tomato and wasn’t surprised when Olivia slit her finger. He flashed over to her and inspected the cut, already seeing she’d cut it down to the bone. He could see the tears in her eyes and knew it hurt, guiding her over to the sink turning the cold water on. Olivia hissed out when he stuck her injured finger under the faucet and blinked as huge tears slid down her cheeks, clenching her teeth.

The smell of her blood was intoxicating, but Damon had learned over the centuries to control his thirst. He closed his eyes, feeling the veins start forming on his face and breathed in and out evenly, the hunger slowly diminishing as his face returned to normal. Olivia had watched him the whole time and wanted to reach out to touch his face, but the pain in her finger had distracted her.

“You’re going to need stitches.” Damon stated, turning the faucet off and saw the fear instantly swell in Olivia’s amber orbs. “Liva…”

“No.” She shook her head, walking away from him. “I’ll be fine, it’s just a small cut…” It was still gushing blood and Olivia grabbed a dishtowel, wrapping it around her finger. “I’ll be fine, no hospital.”

Damon scowled, not appreciating her stubbornness and knew there was only one other thing he could do. “Fine, no hospital.”

Suddenly, his face once again changed and those veins popped out, his scleras turning red. They made his aquamarine eyes pop and Damon felt his fangs slide out, bringing his wrist to his mouth biting into it. Olivia couldn’t believe what she witnessed, instinctively stepping back when Damon came toward her, completely perplexed and a little scared at what he did.

“Damon…”

“If you won’t go to the hospital, then you’ll drink my blood. It’ll heal you and it won’t hurt like stitches will.” Damon gave her a choice, she could either drink his blood and heal that way or he was taking her to the hospital, forcefully if necessary. “You have to get that taken care of, I’m not going to hurt you, Liva. My blood won’t hurt you either.”

Olivia couldn’t believe what he just asked her to do and swallowed hard, shaking her head. “N-No…I-I can’t…” She stammered, her breathing turning a little shallow and she knew it was because the loss of blood. “Please…”

“Then we’re going to the hospital.”

“NO!” Olivia screamed, remembering the last time she had to go to the hospital and shook her head defiantly.

“THEN DRINK!!” Damon roared, flashing over to her and pressed her against the counter, boxing her in. “Hospital or my blood, Olivia. Your choice, now pick one.”

He could be so overbearing and frightening when he wanted to be, but Olivia knew deep down Damon was only doing this because he didn’t want her hurt. “I-It won’t hurt me?” She questioned, eyeballing the blood on his wrist, the punctured holes already closed up on her wrist.

“No, I promise.” Damon grunted, pulling his wrist away before she could grab it to puncture his wrist again, holding it up to her mouth. “Fresh blood is better.” He explained quickly, wanting her to take the blood straight from his vein. “Now drink, just a few drops will do it.”

Olivia locked eyes with Damon and reached out to grab his wrist, taking a deep breath. Then she took the plunge and locked her mouth on it, feeling the warm red liquid instantly enter her mouth. It wasn’t disgusting like Olivia thought. In fact, it was probably one of the best things she’d ever tasted in her life and she suddenly gripped his arm tighter, sucking fiercely.

Damon closed his eyes, thankful they were right by the hamburger meat because he didn’t want the food to burn. However, the feeling of her sweet mouth on his wrist, drinking his blood willingly, was definitely making him think twice about food. He growled, ripping the taco seasoning open with his teeth and poured it on the meat, turning the stove off. He then took his wrist from her mouth, noting the pure euphoric gleam in her eyes and knew she enjoyed it.

Leaning down, Damon swiped the drops of blood from the corners of her mouth before searing her lips with a toe-curling kiss. Olivia kissed him back with an equal amount of passion, feeling this surge of energy suddenly flow through her and opened her mouth as they tasted each other. Food was definitely waiting as Olivia yanked the towel right off of Damon and felt his hand pull open her robe, pushing it from her shoulders.

Damon growled and shoved the cutting board, knife and vegetables to the side, not wanting her getting injured, but he couldn’t wait to be inside of her again. The sight of her drinking his blood had sent him over the edge and tacos were the last thing on his mind. His food was right in front of him as her legs wrapped around his waist and snapped his hips forward, burying his thick shaft inside of her receptive body.

Olivia cried out, whipping her head back before burying her face his neck, clinging to him. “B-Bite me…” She breathed out as he began pumping in and out of her, watching as Damon pulled back to lock eyes with her. “Taste me, Damon…”

“You sure?” He grunted out, picking up the pace of this quick romp and watched her nod without hesitation. “Say the word, Liva.”

“Yes, bite me.” She moaned uncontrollably, raking her nails down his chest and arms, meeting him for every thrust. “Do it!”

Hissing, Damon couldn’t deny this beautiful woman anything and felt his fangs slide out, puncturing the top of her left breast a second later.

Chapter 19

Her blood tasted sweeter than ambrosia.

His thrusts came hard and fast, pounding with a frenzy inside of her, her blood filling him with a newfound power. Olivia cried out as soon as his fangs pierced her skin, though it didn’t hurt nearly as bad as she thought. The pleasure she currently felt from Damon overshadowed the pain as Olivia buried her fingers in his thick black hair. Damon growled against her breast as he continued drinking his fill, tweaking her already pert nipples with his fingers and increased the cadence of his thrusts.

“Oh Damon…” She was close, so very close…

“GET THE HELL OFF OF HER!!”

Damon pulled away from Olivia’s breast and slowly turned his head at the sound of that angry voice, his reddish electric blue eyes flashing angrily. “Or what?” He growled, fangs still out as Olivia’s blood dripped from his mouth, breathing heavily.

“Or I’ll drive a stake through your heart! GET AWAY FROM HER!!” Simone started stalking toward them, but a large hot hand wrapped around her upper arm, stopping her. “Tyler, let go of me now!”

“Simone…”

The words died on Tyler’s lips as his dark eyes observed the scene before them, clenching his teeth. Damon’s nudity didn’t bother him nearly as much as Olivia’s, though a robe hung loosely on her arms. What bothered him even more and was the fact that Damon had actually bit her, sickening him as well as Simone. What made this situation even worse was that Olivia obviously enjoyed every second of being bitten and tasted by a vampire. Tyler was almost positive he was going to lose his breakfast, last night’s dinner and possibly lunch.

“That’s just SICK!”

Olivia could only stare over at an irate Simone and groaned, her building orgasm vanishing. She looked down at her breast and saw the puncture wounds, knowing exactly what this looked like. Just by the deadly flash in Simone’s eyes, Olivia could tell exactly what her friend was thinking and groaned at Damon pulling out of her body. She was crimson red from head to toe, possibly even darker than that and hastily closed her robe shut since Tyler simply stood there like a gawking idiot.

“Do you MIND?” Olivia gritted out, directing that at Tyler and was thankful Damon had stayed exactly where he was, effectively blocking her.

Of course Damon blocked Olivia and was two seconds away from colliding his fist against wolf boy’s nose, scowling. “You can go into the OTHER room while we go get dressed.” He ordered, helping Olivia off the counter and pinched the bridge of his nose when Simone began ranting.

“NO! YOU’RE NOT TAKING HER ANYWHERE UNTIL I KNOW FOR A FACT SHE’S NOT A BLOODSUCKING DEMON LIKE YOU!!” Simone screamed and stalked over to them without hesitation, ignoring Tyler, daring Damon to lay a finger on her in front of Olivia. “Livi…”

Olivia stepped in front of Damon and felt a possessive arm instantly wrap around her waist, leaning into him. “Simone, he didn’t hurt me…” She began, only to be cut off and raked a hand through her hair in frustration.

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! HE BIT YOU, OLIVIA!!” Simone couldn’t believe what Olivia just said, staring at her as if two heads suddenly sprouted from her neck on either side of her head. “HE’S GOING TO-”

“STOP!” Olivia snapped, shouting right back at Simone, which rarely happened and it seemed to shock Simone into a temporary silence. “Damon, will you excuse us for a few minutes please?” She requested, slowly turning to stare up in his arms and accepted a soft brush of his lips against hers. “I’ll be up in a minute.”

Damon was hesitant to leave her alone with the two, especially since Tyler could overpower her within seconds, but he had to trust Olivia could handle herself. “I’ll be waiting for you.” He rumbled, running a finger down her cheek and stepped out of the kitchen right past Tyler. “They want to speak alone, I suggest you listen and go sit in the living room, wolf boy.” He’d lowered his voice to where Olivia couldn’t hear.

“Don’t tell me what to do.” Tyler growled, not appreciating being patronized by a vampire.

Simone had overheard their conversation and looked over her shoulder at Tyler, nodding. “Go, she wants to talk to me alone.” She watched as Tyler hesitated, but resignedly he walked away from the doorway and sat down in the living room/parlor area of the mansion. “Olivia…”

“Just listen to me before you open your mouth again and speak. I WANTED Damon to bite me, Simone. Before you barged in here unannounced, I was having possibly the best sex I’ve ever had in my life.” She could also be blunt when the situation called for it. “We were cooking and I sliced my hand pretty bad. It was deep enough to where I needed stitches and Damon was going to force me to go to the hospital, but I denied him. So, he told me to either drink his blood to heal me or we were going to the hospital. I chose his blood, you know how much I hate hospitals and he promised me it wouldn’t hurt. And it didn’t. I felt empowered and it was almost as if my libido was jumpstarted after tasting his blood. And look,” She held her hand up, which still had dried blood on it from her cut, only it was completely healed with no scar. “It worked.”

Simone knew what vampire blood could do and felt sick because Olivia was currently filled with it. “He didn’t…compel you, did he?” She could only imagine what happened between Damon and Olivia the previous night, several images popping into her mind. All of them had kept her up, she hadn’t slept a wink.

Laughing softly, Olivia shook her head and folded her arms in front of her chest. “No, if he did I wouldn’t still have this on.” She fingered her mother’s gift around her neck, a soft smile gracing her lips. “I was curious about what it feels like to be bitten and the taste of his blood was intoxicating.” Amber orbs suddenly locked with hesitant jade and Olivia had to take a shaky breath before speaking again. “I’m falling for him, Simone.”

Her jaw dropped at Olivia’s confession. “Livi, you’ve only known him a couple of days…” There was NO way Olivia could fall for a vampire!

“Oh and you’re going to stand there and tell me you’re not falling for Mr. Hot Gym Teacher?” Olivia shot back, snorting when Simone looked troubled and rolled her eyes.

“It’s different…”

“How?” Olivia demanded, cutting Simone off once again and could feel the anger welling up inside of her. “Is it because Damon doesn’t have a beating heart and Tyler does?”

“Among other things…” This conversation was treading on dangerous ground and there was no way Simone could tell Olivia what she wanted until her friend was fully dressed.

“Let me tell you something, just because Damon doesn’t have a beating heart doesn’t mean he doesn’t have one. Do you know what happened last night, Sim?” Of course she didn’t! “No you don’t because, if you did, you wouldn’t be so quick to jump to conclusions and judge Damon. He hurt me, yes, but he’s more than made up for it.”

“Twenty four hours in his bed sexing it up isn’t the way to make up what he did to you!” Simone protested, trying not to raise her voice, but her frustration was currently off the charts, which wasn’t a good thing. “Olivia, listen to me…”

Olivia shook her head, tossing her hands up in the air. “No, I have NOTHING to say to you, Simone. You can go off for the past few days with Mr. Buff in there and sex it up, but yet I can’t. You’re the one who TOLD me to go for it, you hypocrite!! You told me to take the leap and have fun, which is what I’m doing!” She couldn’t believe how judgmental Simone was being and wondered what happened to her best friend, frowning. “Don’t act all high and mighty because you’re no better than I am. You had sex with a stranger just like I did, so the way I see it, we’re on the same level. So don’t stand there trying to make me feel guilty about having feelings for Damon because it’s a waste of your time and energy. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go upstairs and get dressed.”

Simone could only watch helplessly as Olivia stormed out of the kitchen down the hallway and slammed her clenched fists down on the granite counter, not caring that it cracked from her strength. “Simone, are you okay?” Tyler heard every word and knew it wasn’t his place to jump in the middle of it, even though he wanted to. “Once you tell her the truth…”

“No.” Simone shook her head, turning around to face him with sad jade eyes. “I’m not telling her, Tyler. I changed my mind. Coming here was a mistake because obviously that dick has brainwashed her and Olivia isn’t thinking clearly right now.”

Tyler frowned, knowing Simone was speaking out of anger and pulled her into his arms, running his fingers through her hair. “You have to tell her, Simone. I know you don’t think she’ll believe you or even listen to what you have to say, but you underestimate her.”

“What if that dick already told her?” Simone grumbled, burying her face in his chest and blinked away unshed tears.

“The dick didn’t.”

Both Tyler and Simone whipped around, staring at a now dressed Damon and narrowed their eyes. “How do I know you’re telling the truth?” He wasn’t trustworthy because of what he was and Simone didn’t believe a word that came from his mouth. “Maybe that’s why Olivia is being so hostile towards me.”

“Or maybe you’re just not listening to what she’s saying, wolf girl.” Damon shot back simply, walking past the kitchen area into the living room/parlor area, pouring a much needed drink. “I didn’t compel her. I told her about me and my brother. The only thing I said was the myths about what goes bump in the night are true.”

Simone eyed him suspiciously, cautiously stepping out of the kitchen with Tyler, following Damon into the living room/parlor. “Why didn’t you tell her, if you didn’t?” She still didn’t believe this vampire actually had a conscience bone in his dead body and never would.

“Not my place.” Damon shrugged, not caring if Simone believed him or not and sat down on the couch in front of the roaring fireplace, sipping his scotch thoughtfully. “Though, I do agree with wolf boy. You have to tell her. She’s had enough secrets kept from her to last her several lifetimes, don’t you think?”

“Why you-!”

Tyler had to stop Simone from charging toward Damon, holding her upper arms tightly. “Stop, this is not the time to fight.” He rumbled, his mouth by her ear and felt her relax instantly against him, a smile crossing his face. “Let’s sit and wait for Olivia.”

Deep down, Simone knew she couldn’t keep the truth from Olivia any longer. It wasn’t fair to her, she just hoped their friendship wasn’t destroyed once the truth came out. Granted, Simone had been sworn to secrecy from her parents as well as the Jackson’s, but all of that was shot to hell now. Maggie and Martin’s death made the pact she made null and void as far as she concerned.

Fifteen minutes later, Olivia walked down the hallway and into the living room/parlor room, wearing a lavender long sleeved top with a pair of dark blue jeans, white socks on her feet. Tyler and Simone sat on one of the couches while Damon occupied another, looking between the two of them repeatedly, wondering what was going on. Then she remembered Simone had said she had something very important to tell her and looked directly at her best friend, slowly padding inside.

“What did you want to tell me last night, Simone?” Olivia was cutting straight to the chase, not flinching when Damon grabbed her hand and pulled her down to sit beside him. “You said you had something to tell me that would probably freak me out and make me run for the hills.” After finding out Damon’s secret about being a vampire, Olivia doubted anything could scare her away at this point.

Where the hell did Simone start? She looked up at Tyler worriedly and could see the encouragement in his eyes, somehow knowing everything would work out. ‘I can do this, just do it and get it over with.’ She mentally coached, slowly looking over at Olivia and could see the impatience on her face. “Olivia, our friendship wasn’t exactly a coincidence. Our parents did meet when we were babies and we grew up together, but…Maggie and Martin also knew my family’s secret.”

The Turner’s had a family secret? “What is it?” Olivia had braced herself to hear the worst possible thing she could think of, a deep frown spreading on her face.

Simone swallowed hard and felt her mouth go dry, blinking when Damon flashed to the bar and to her within seconds, handing a fresh tumbler full of whiskey. He nodded once before setting back down beside Olivia, draping an arm casually over her shoulders. Slamming the tumbler back, Simone slammed the glass down on the side table and closed her eyes at the burning sensation spreading down her esophagus, which was surprisingly comforting.

“Our family has a gene in our blood that was passed down to me through my father. My mother was normal, but my father had the gene.” Simone was rambling and she knew it, but her nerves were on edge. “Look, I’m just going to spit this out. I’m a werewolf, Livi.”

Olivia stared at her best friend for a full minute straight, not moving an inch with her mouth hanging open. Then she started laughing, the sound drier than the desert with no humor. “You’re kidding me right?” She laughed harder when Simone shook her head, Damon and Tyler having serious expressions on their faces. “You’re actually telling me that my best friend morphs into a four legged fur ball?”

“It’s not funny, Olivia…” Simone muttered, not expecting this type of reaction and wrapped her arms around herself, tears stinging her eyes. “And I’m not kidding around, I’m telling you the truth. It only happens on full moons, which is why you never saw me when there was a full moon. I had to be chained and locked up tight so I couldn’t get out when I turned. Tyler can vouch for me because he’s also one.”

The laughter died instantly as Olivia’s amber eyes shot open, looking back and forth between the two, her breathing suddenly erratic. “Sim…” Suddenly, her entire world went black as Olivia slumped against Damon, the darkness consuming her.

Chapter 20

Olivia just stared at Simone with a gaping mouth and wide eyes, trying to mull over everything that just came out of her mouth.

“So let me get this straight,” Olivia had to pause and ran a shaking hand through her hair, breathing a little heavy. “My parents had a contractual agreement with yours to protect me?”

“Yes.”

Olivia woke up sometime later that night and Simone hadn’t left her side. She sat with her throughout the day while Damon went to take care of a few things. They had an understanding between them, but Simone still didn’t like him and did not trust him. She couldn’t help it, the wolf gene was in her blood and it was instilled inside of her to hate vampires. Vampires and werewolves had a hatred for each other that stemmed over centuries upon centuries, both wanting to tear each other apart without thinking.

After Olivia showered to wake up a little more and ate a sandwich Simone made, Simone launched into the backstory of why exactly they were friends. What Margaret hadn’t put in the letter was the fact that Olivia’s birth mother, Lucille, had sent the Turner family to look after the Jackson’s. She was friends with Loretta and Scott for many years, knowing Loretta’s secret. Scott didn’t have the wolf gene, but Loretta did, so it was a fifty-fifty shot if Simone ended up with it at birth.

Lucille asked Loretta and Scott to move down to Atlanta to look after the Jackson’s because of her daughter, explaining the agreement in which she made with them. It was Loretta’s obligation to protect all human life from vampires and Lucille was sure one would come after her daughter one day, so the Turner’s ended up moving south from Mystic Falls. They found the Jackson’s with little trouble and instantly connected as friends, though they never mentioned Lucille’s name to Margaret and Martin.

When Olivia asked how Simone triggered her family’s curse, that’s when the conversation became a little tense. Simone had a very hard time dealing and coming to terms with what she did. The guilt still ate away at her at times, especially whenever she talked about it, which wasn’t often. She told her parents, Tyler and now Olivia, those were the only people who knew her deep dark secret about how she killed a girl in high school and triggered the her mother’s curse.

“We were all at a party one night. I snuck out to meet David, don’t know if you remember him.” Simone watched Olivia nod before continuing, inhaling sharply. “Anyway, I didn’t drink, but this girl did and apparently she’d had a crush on David for a while. She started literally dry humping him on the dance floor right in front of me, thinking I wouldn’t do anything about it. So I grabbed her by her hair and flung her right out the nearest window. She went face first and her whole upper torso dangled out of the window, which was two stories up. I didn’t know my own strength, Livi, I swear. David was appalled by what I did and went to help her, only he was too late.” Simone shut her eyes tightly to keep the tears in and stood up from the chair, walking over to stare out the window. “The top half of the window hadn’t shattered, just the bottom, but it was no longer secure. It fell and sliced her right in half, Olivia. It killed her instantly and, because I’m the one who tossed her through the window, I killed her. I’ve never felt such pain in my life when I triggered the curse, but it’s gotten better over the years. I just have to watch what I’m doing and control my strength.”

“My god…” Olivia covered her mouth with her hand, hardly believing Simone could be capable of ending a human life. “Who was the girl?”

“Cynthia Waterman.” Simone once hated that girl and wished death upon her so many times, which is why the guilt intensified whenever she thought of that fateful night. “I know I wished she would die so many times, but I didn’t mean it and I certainly didn’t want to be the one to do it.”

“It’s okay, Sim.” Olivia remembered that night well. She was sick and couldn’t sneak out to go with Simone to the party because her boyfriend at the time, Christopher Carmichael, had asked her to go with them. “Chris was with you and David, right?”

Simone nodded, thankful Olivia had called it quits with that jockstrap because he’d been cheating on her friend with Cynthia’s best friend, Lindsay. “Yes, but he left the party early.” She vowed never to tell Olivia about that unless her friend didn’t break up with the scumbag, but luckily a week later, Olivia caught him and Lindsay together.

“So, once you triggered the curse, I’m assuming your parents sat down with you to discuss the contractual obligation of protecting me.” Olivia lowered her eyes to the bedding, wiping fresh tears away.

“We were already friends, Livi.” Simone moved to sit on the bed beside Olivia, taking her hand and squeezed it gently. “You have to know that I would’ve protected you without a stupid contract, but your parents were adamant about it. They insisted that I sign it, so I did. I didn’t really understand what was going on and completely freaked out when my parents told me what exactly I was and that vampires existed. My Mom was devastated, it took her a few months to come to grips with the cold reality that her daughter had been born with her gene.”

“I can only imagine how hard it was for you.” Olivia said softly, slowly looking up at her best friend and saw the tears sliding down Simone’s eyes. “Sim, don’t cry.” She reached for the box of tissues on her nightstand and handed them over, plucking some out to wipe her tears away. “I’m not mad at you.”

“I know.” Simone whispered, not bothering with the tissues and dried her eyes. “It’s just hard to talk about. I never wanted to tell you and I never thought the day would come when I’d have to tell you. When Maggie and Martin died, the contract became null and void, which is why it really was up to me if I wanted to come here with you or not. I’ve been your secret protector for over twenty years and I wasn’t about to stop now. I’m glad I came too because I found another person that understands what it’s like to have this curse and who really understands me.” She smiled at the thought of Tyler Lockwood, hardly believing how lucky she’d been to find him.

Olivia could see the stars in Simone’s eyes and was genuinely happy for her friend. Simone had dated some major creeps over the years, so it was nice that she was finally with someone who not only understood her, but also shared the same fate with the werewolf gene. That’s how Olivia felt about Damon. Deep in her heart, she knew he was her better half, her soul mate, even if he was dead, but Simone would never accept it. That’s what hurt Olivia the most because she’d finally found a man instead of all these boys she’d dated, just like Simone, but her best friend didn’t approve.

“I know you don’t want to hear this, but that’s how I feel about Damon.” Olivia figured it was better to get this conversation out of the way now before they went any further. “I know you hate him because of what he is, but I can’t help how I feel and I hope you can respect my decision to be with him.”

Simone knew that was coming and heaved a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Fair enough, but if he harms ONE hair on your head, I’ll kill him. Are we clear?” Just because she gave her blessing didn’t mean Simone wouldn’t hesitate to rip the vampire’s head off he ever hurt her friend again. “I mean it, Olivia. That includes biting…”

“Unless I give consent.” Olivia cut her off, amber eyes narrowing as she placed a hand over the spot where Damon had bitten her earlier that day in the kitchen. His blood was still fresh in her system, so it healed almost instantly, but the memory still burned in her mind. “I like being bitten by him, Sim. It doesn’t hurt and-”

“Okay, okay fine, I don’t need the details.” Simone stopped her, feeling her stomach gurgle almost violently and was afraid she might hurl all over the bed if Olivia continued. “Fine, if you give your consent, just don’t tell me about it.”

“Deal.” Olivia grinned, standing up from the bed to grab her brush, needing to get knots out of her hair. “So where is Mr. Hottie Gym Teacher anyway? Or should I call him Hottie Wolf Man now?”

Simone laughed, shaking her head. “Oh believe me, he’s more than a hottie. He’s scorching and what he does with his tongue is mind-blowing.”

“Stop right there.” Olivia ordered, sinking down on the bed and continued brushing her hair. “If I can’t tell you details about my sex life, then you can’t tell me details about yours.”

Scowling, Simone didn’t like those terms because her sex life was with a man who had a beating heart. Of course she didn’t say that because their friendship were already on shaky ground after revealing her secret. “Fine whatever, we need to talk about something else anyway.” She said, changing the subject and watched Olivia’s eyebrow raise slowly.

“What is it?”

“When are you going to tell Jenna and Elena who you are?” Simone bluntly asked, folding her arms in front of her chest.

Olivia groaned, setting the brush down on the nightstand and lowered her eyes to her lap, folding her hands. “I honestly don’t know. Damon said I shouldn’t do it until I’m fully ready and I’m not yet. I’ve only been in town for a few days.” It was hard to believe since so much had happened since they entered the small town of Mystic Falls.

“You need to bite the bullet and tell them, Livi. I’m not trying to push you, but I know if you don’t do it soon, you never will.” Simone pointed out, hoping Olivia wasn’t upset for the family situation being brought up. “Jenna was asking about you at dinner last night.”

Olivia’s head snapped up, amber eyes widened. “What?! What do you mean she asked about me? Why?” The questions fired out of her mouth before Olivia could stop them and suddenly felt as though a frog lodged in her throat.

“Well let’s see, you were at Elena’s having a spell done on you by a witch that saved your life and Elena told Jenna everything that happened. So naturally, Jenna had a few questions about who you are and how Elena knows you.” The sarcasm dripped in her voice and Simone ignored Olivia’s blatant eye roll, tilting her head with pursed lips.

“You didn’t…say anything did you?” Olivia somewhat demanded, standing up from the bed and let out a sigh of relief when Simone shook her head.

“Of course not, it’s not my place to tell them.” Simone stated indignantly, standing up as well as they both headed out of the bedroom, walking down the hallway toward the stairs. “Where are we going?”

“I need ice cream.” That was Olivia’s answer for any problems she had in life and she knew Damon had some because she spotted it earlier in the freezer.

Chuckling, Simone draped an arm around her friend’s shoulders, knowing Olivia wanted to talk more about her family issue. “Chocolate?”

“What else?”

They arrived in the kitchen and Olivia pulled down some bowls from the cabinet, giving them each a healthy dose of it before sliding Simone’s over to her. “I know I need to tell them, but how the hell do you go about walking in someone’s place and saying ‘oh hey, by the way, we’re related and I’m your long lost sister and aunt’?” Olivia took a big bite of ice cream and felt the tears sting her eyes, starting to stab her dessert with the spoon like it personally did her wrong. “What would you do?”

Honestly, Simone didn’t blame Olivia for being hesitant about this situation because it was definitely encroaching on personal territory. “I have no idea.” She said truthfully, eating her ice cream slower than Olivia. “Part of me wonders if I’d even go through with it, but a BIGGER part of me would feel regret if I didn’t. Look, I’m not telling you to just jump into this head first without thinking about it, but if you don’t do this, you’re going to always have that huge ‘what if’ sign in your head and heart. I don’t want that for you, Livi, and neither do your parents. That’s why your Mom sent you here to find out the truth.”

“I know…” Olivia whispered, taking another bite and then suddenly dropped the spoon, shoving the bowl of ice cream away. “I just need a little more time and I’ll do it. I just need to build my courage up.”

Simone decided it was time for another subject change, shoving the ice cream right back at Olivia with a tentative smile. “Then let’s talk about something else.” She suggested, picking Olivia’s spoon up and handed it to her. “You’re going to need it, trust me.”

“What’s going on?” Olivia demanded, a small frown crossing her face and couldn’t fathom what was currently going through Simone’s head. “Out with it, Turner.”

“I want to move to Mystic Falls.” Simone blurted out, sinking down on one of the stools on the island and took another bite of ice cream.

“WHAT?!” Olivia shrieked, not caring who heard her at this time of night and knew her voice echoed into a few rooms besides the kitchen. “Have you lost your mind?!”

Smiling serenely, Simone shook her head and set her spoon down, folding her arms in front of her chest. “No, I’m actually completely in my right mind. I love it here and there’s nothing left for me in Georgia besides my parents. And they’re always off going on cruises and god knows what else. I’m all alone…”

“This is about Tyler, don’t even try blaming it on your folks.” Olivia growled, narrowing her eyes and waited for Simone to try stammering over some other excuse. “You really want to pick up your entire life and move it here to this tiny town because of a guy? Simone Turner, what the hell is wrong with you and where’s my best friend?”

“Oh and you’re telling me the idea of living close to Damon isn’t appealing?” As much as Simone didn’t like the concept of Olivia dating a vampire, she knew there was nothing she could do to stop it. “Come on Livi, we can look for a small house around here and be roomies until I can figure out what happens with Tyler.”

Eyeballing her suspiciously, Olivia wasn’t buying Simone’s lame excuse and snorted, walking around the island to stand right in front of her. “Tell me the real reason you want to find a place here and I might consider it.” She figured a compromise was in order and it was the only way to weasel the truth out of Simone.

Groaning, Simone knew she was caught and hated how Olivia could tell whenever she wasn’t being truthful. “Damn you.” She grunted, tossing her hands up in the air and went to open her mouth to say something else, stopping when a voice sounded behind them.

“Wolf boy doesn’t want her staying under a vampire’s roof.”

Chapter 21

Damon Salvatore had the absolute worst timing.

“Is that true, Sim?” Olivia frowned, seeing the guilty look cross her friend’s face and shook her head sadly, taking a step back. “That is really prejudice of you.”

Simone scowled at the vampire, watching as he flew over to stand beside Olivia, tempted to rip his tongue out of his mouth. “I hate you so much. You’re turning her against me on purpose!” Was Olivia completely blind or just deluded?

“No I’m not, actually. Lockwood told me earlier when we both left while you stayed here to watch over Liva.” Damon stated, wrapping an arm around Olivia’s shoulders and pulled her against him, kissing the top of her head. “He said he didn’t feel comfortable with you staying here under the roof of vampires, even if it was us.”

Simone was going to tear Tyler apart for running his mouth, growling from low in her throat. “Are you lying to me, vamp?” She demanded through clenched teeth.

“No reason to lie to you, wolf girl.” Damon snorted, glancing down at the island and saw the chocolate ice cream, a smirk curving his lips. “So we like the same ice cream too, eh?”

Olivia flushed, chewing her bottom lip and nodded. “I guess we do.” She felt Damon’s hand caressing her back gently through the thin material of her shirt and leaned further against him.

“I’ll have to remember that.” He rumbled, his mouth right by her ear and smirked wickedly when Simone scoffed in disgust. “Problem?”

“Several.” Simone shot back, placing her hands on her hips. “You barged in on our PRIVATE conversation, vamp.”

Damon did it on purpose, even though he was curious what Olivia thought of living in Mystic Falls permanently. He definitely wanted her to stay, but it was ultimately her decision. If she didn’t make the right one, he could easily persuade her with his own methods that involved chocolate ice cream. Now that he thought about it, Damon hoped Olivia declined Simone’s idea of moving from Atlanta just so he could coax her himself. The thought of Olivia writhing beneath him, while he licked chocolate ice cream from her body and tortured her until she surrendered to anything he wanted, definitely made his jeans tighten slightly.

“Why don’t you head into the library and I’ll be in there in a minute?” Olivia suggested, wanting nothing more than to let Damon whisk her away, but she didn’t want to be rude to her best friend. “Give us about five minutes.”

Sighing with resignation, Damon reluctantly released her and stepped away. “Take your time, I’ll be waiting for you.” He then flew from the kitchen, giving them their privacy, though he kept his ears open to eavesdrop on their conversation.

“You do realize he can hear every word we say, right?” Simone grunted, tempted to cart Olivia forcefully out of the mansion so they could talk without prying ears. “God I hate him…”

“Hey, be nice.” Olivia scolded, picking both of the bowls up and placed them in the sink, rinsing them with hot water. “I haven’t said one bad thing about Tyler, so I expect you to show the same courtesy with my boyfriend…or whatever Damon is to me.”

“Livi, he’s dead and Tyler is alive. Nothing can change that. You don’t have a future with a vampire unless you become one yourself.” That would happen over Simone’s dead mutilated corpse, the mere thought of her best friend becoming a bloodsucker turning her stomach violently. “Promise me you won’t become a vampire.”

Olivia blinked, never thinking of that possibility and cleared her throat. “I’m not promising anything.” She mumbled, knowing Simone could hear her because of her wolf enhanced hearing.

“WHAT?!” Simone suddenly whipped Olivia around by the arm, staring down into her guarded amber eyes with tears in her own. “No – NO, I won’t let you do it! You won’t become the very thing your parents and even your biological parents despised!! I was sworn to protect you and, contract or not, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. So you have a choice, you can either promise me right here and now that you won’t become a monster or I’ll kidnap you and take you back to Atlanta. Your choice.”

Damon heard that and flew right back into the kitchen, shoving Simone away from Olivia with so much force, the woman’s body sailed across the kitchen, colliding against the wall. “Get out of my house now, wolf. Your boy is waiting on you and Olivia is done with this conversation.” He ordered, already dragging Olivia back to stand behind him and could feel her shaking, which boiled his blood more.

Recovering quickly, Simone glared at the vampire who was slowly driving a wedge between her and Olivia, back on her feet instantly. “Not until she comes with me.” She wasn’t budging an inch, folding her arms in front of her chest with narrowed deadly jade eyes. “Livi.”

Turning around, Damon looked down at the somewhat frightened Olivia and hoped she wasn’t upset with him for what he did to Simone. “Liva, you can go with her if you want. You’re not a prisoner here.” He assured her, stepping away, but was close enough to shove the wolf away if she tried forcing Olivia to leave. “The decision is yours.”

Olivia was torn, not sure what to do as she looked back and forth between them, blinking as tears slid down her face. “I don’t want to leave.” She finally said, watching as Simone’s face fell and stepped toward her. “Sim, please understand…”

“No.” Simone held her hand up, sniffling as tears slid down her own face. “I get it. I just can’t believe you’d pick a monster over our friendship, that you would actually CONSIDER becoming what he is.” Her voice had grown softer and low, every part of her hurting. “Just remember this, Olivia, immortality is not all it’s cracked up to be.”

“I never said I would become a vampire!!” Olivia shouted, stopping her friend from walking out of the kitchen and rushed over to grab Simone by the arm. “Look at me, Sim! Just because I’m with a vampire doesn’t mean I’ll become one! You assumed that and caught me off guard when you demanded I promise you I wouldn’t become one. I don’t know what’s going to happen with this, but I’m not taking any offers off the tables and I’m leaving my options open. You should respect my decision, no matter what you were raised to believe! Not all vampires are monsters!”

“He hurt you though, Livi, or did your brain suddenly forget that?!” Simone growled, yanking her arm out of Olivia’s grasp and clenched her teeth to keep her temper in check. “He CRUSHED your throat to the point where, if witches didn’t exist, you would’ve DIED. He nearly KILLED you and you’re standing here choosing him over ME, the ONE person who has never turned her back on you!!”

“Oh, so sexing it up with Tyler Lockwood and leaving me high and dry to do the investigation on my own wasn’t turning your back on me?” Olivia shot back angrily, scowling, and planted her hands on her hips. “You ABANDONED me! If you were with me, Damon would’ve never attacked me and he only did it because he thought we were here to hurt Elena!! He’s made up for it, why can’t you see that?!”

“Because I don’t believe he wouldn’t hurt you again if the situation called for it.” Simone couldn’t stop the sting of guilt zip through her at Olivia’s harsh words, knowing she deserved everything her friend said and more. “I’ve already apologized for not being there, Livi…”

“Well guess what, so has Damon.” Olivia backtracked right into Damon’s arms, feeling them wrap around her waist and rested her head back on his chest. “I lost count how many times he said the word sorry and I finally had to stop him from saying it because it was driving me insane. I forgive him, Simone. You need to get over it and accept my decision because I’m not going to stop being with him just because he’s a vampire. And I’m not going to promise you something that solid when I don’t know what the future holds. Who knows what will happen? Maybe I want to become a vampire, then again maybe I don’t. And I really don’t care what either of my parents think or feel, they’re dead and gone, so they have no say so in my life decisions anymore.”

This was pointless and Simone knew Olivia had made her mind up, wishing there was something she could say or do to show Damon’s true colors. “I’m done arguing with you about this. You want to be a vampire? Fine, do what you want. I just don’t care anymore. Now do you want to find a place with me and be roomies or not?” She demanded, trying to keep the hurt out of her voice and failed miserably.

“Do I have to give you an answer right now?” Olivia asked tensely, feeling Damon’s chin rest on her shoulder and was thankful he’d kept his mouth shut during her and Simone’s small spat. “I need to think about it.”

“Fine, whatever. I’m going out tomorrow house hunting whether you’re with me or not. I’m not going back to Atlanta, I belong here with Tyler.” Simone informed her evenly, fighting back the overwhelming urge to drive a stake right through Damon Salvatore’s heart. “You have tonight to think about it, I want an answer by morning.”

That was hardly enough time to make one of the most important decisions of her life, but Olivia was tired of arguing with Simone. “Fine, you better leave now and go find Tyler.”

She didn’t want Damon and Simone getting into another altercation and watched as Simone practically sprinted out of the kitchen, hearing the front door slam shut moments later. Olivia dropped her head shamefully, wishing Simone would understand that these feelings for Damon were intense and she couldn’t change them. If Damon asked her to spend the rest of eternity with him, Olivia would do it in a heartbeat because she already knew she was in love with him. It only took a few days, but ever since she locked eyes with aquamarine, Olivia had been entranced and couldn’t stop her feelings from exploding for him.

“Let’s go sit down and talk.” Damon suggested in a low voice, smiling when Olivia nodded and guided her out of the kitchen toward the library.

Sitting down on the couch, Damon procured a tumbler of scotch for himself and rum for Olivia, both of them taking healthy swallows. “Thank you.” She murmured, setting her tumbler down and drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them while staring into the roaring fireplace.

“You’re welcome.” He replied, setting his own down and moved closer to her, brushing some of her beautiful auburn hair away from her succulent neck, breathing her in. “What’s on your mind, Liva?”

“So many things.” She confessed openly, slowly moving her gaze from the fire right into those hypnotic aquamarine orbs, not feeling the fresh tears escape her eyes. “Too many things.”

Damon caught a teardrop on his finger and popped it in his mouth, savoring the salty taste of it. “Then start with the beginning and work your way through them.” He said, gripping her hips and lifted her with ease to straddle his lap, his hands sliding beneath the t-shirt to caress her bare back. “Talk to me, Liva.”

How could she deny this man anything? Olivia let out a soft moan at his gentle caressing and immediately began unbuttoning his long sleeved shirt, her eyes never leaving his. She didn’t want to talk right now, but had a feeling Damon wouldn’t give her what she wanted until she did. He was such an evil tease, Olivia was tempted to reciprocate the mischief, but decided against it, not knowing how he’d react.

“I know I need to go talk to Jenna and Elena, but I’m scared of what will happen once I take that step. I’m not even sure if I want to tell them at all. I don’t want to wreck their lives and something like this definitely will.” She said, opening up to Damon completely and felt a little better as soon as she did. “I asked Simone what she would do if the roles were reversed and she said that part of her wouldn’t do it, but a bigger part of her would because she didn’t want to always have that ‘what if’ in the back of her mind. She didn’t want to always feel that regret from not taking the risk and confronting her biological family. But she also doesn’t realize that she’s much braver than I ever was or ever could be.”

“No she’s not.” Damon snorted, pressing a finger over her lips before Olivia could protest, his face completely serious. “You are the bravest woman I’ve ever met, Olivia. Let me tell you why. You didn’t run screaming when I told you what I was. Granted, you tried running away, but it didn’t take much for me to convince you that I wouldn’t hurt you. And you accepted it. Then you find out what Simone is and, once again, you handle it better than probably anyone out there would. You made the eight hour journey from Atlanta to here without thinking twice because you wanted to know who your biological family was and that in itself takes courage and bravery. I don’t think Simone could do and handle everything that’s been thrown at you.”

Just one look in his eyes told Olivia that Damon was being completely truthful with her and she appreciated his honesty. “Thank you.” She murmured, lowering her eyes from his as the blush crept up from her neck all the way to her cheeks, inflaming them.

Damon smirked, running his finger down her crimson cheek and captured her lips with his in a soft kiss, pulling her closer to him. “Do you have any idea how delicious you look in that color?” He growled, attaching his lips to her neck and began creeping her shirt up higher to remove it.

“Mmm no…”

“DAMON!!!”

He barely raised his head from Olivia’s neck before Stefan came flying into the library with wide green eyes. “What the hell, Stefan?!” Damon demanded, not appreciating the rude interruption and tossed Olivia on the couch, standing up to confront his baby brother.

Olivia stared with wide eyes, busy trying to pull her shirt back down since Damon had it bunched up pretty good. What the hell was going on? She could see the murder in Damon’s eyes and knew there had to be a reason why Stefan just barged in here unannounced. He wasn’t the type to ever do that, something must’ve happened and Olivia’s suspicions were confirmed by the next set of words that came out of Stefan’s mouth.

“It’s Jenna.” Stefan looked over at Olivia briefly before looking back at Damon, frowning. “Her house caught on fire and Elena is on her way over there. We have to go NOW.”

Chapter 22

Olivia had never dressed so fast in her life, tossing on a pair of black jeans and a long sleeved hunter green top, flying out the front door with Damon. They jumped into his Camaro and peeled out of there while Stefan opted to run to Jenna’s since it would be faster. Damon had to take the car because of Olivia, which he didn’t mind. Though he wondered if bringing her around Jenna’s was the best idea since she wasn’t ready to face her biological family yet. He did understand why she wanted to come with though because Stefan had raced out after announcing Jenna’s house was on fire. Leave it to little brother to worry them potentially for nothing.

“Jenna is fine, Liva.” Damon said, reaching over to grab her hand and squeezed it gently, bringing it up to brush his lips against her knuckles.

“How do you know?” Olivia asked quietly, looking at him with amber eyes full of concern and worry, tears stinging her eyes.

Damon didn’t have an answer for her and kept his mouth shut, but didn’t release her hand. He just kept caressing the back of her hand with it; trying to soothe her anyway he could and tried not to growl at every red light they hit. Sorely tempted to break the law and run them, Damon knew the town’s sheriff, Elizabeth Forbes, wouldn’t be happy with him if he did.

The rest of the drive was made in silence, Olivia suddenly feeling déjà vu when Damon pulled up to Jenna’s two story house. She sat there and watched as the firemen rushed around to put the flames out and shouting orders to everyone on the street that watched with horrified perplexity. Olivia remembered driving up to her childhood home, the lights from the fire trucks flashing and temporarily blinding her vision. Suddenly, she was back in Atlanta and staring at the firemen while they tried to put the fire out on her home, only to fail miserably. She didn’t hear Damon’s voice tell her to stop as Olivia opened the door and stepped out in a slowly trance, hot tears cascading down her cheeks.

“Not again…” She whispered and went to bolt past the firemen toward the house, only to be stopped by a pair of tight arms wrapping around her waist.

“Calm down, Liva.” Damon rumbled, not wanting her to cause a scene why the authorities were still there and started pulling her back toward the Camaro.

“No!” She started thrashing against him, struggling with all the energy and strength she had, needing to get to her parents before they burned to death. “I-I can save them! I-I can do this!! MOM! DAD!”

Damon growled, not in the mood to deal with a hysterical woman and clamped a hand over her mouth. “Shut up, Olivia.” He ordered gravely, looking around to make sure she hadn’t drawn attention to them. “Snap out of it now, this isn’t your parents’ house, this is Jenna’s!”

Olivia didn’t hear a word he said and continued fighting, trying to break free to get to the house. Damon knew what he had to do and released Olivia, only to whip her around, gripping her upper arms tightly. Her amber eyes shot open when Damon suddenly smacked her across the face, only hard enough to snap her out of her hysteria. The flashback from her parents’ death deteriorated at once and Olivia was standing in front of Damon Salvatore just outside of Jenna Sommer’s house that wasn’t on fire.

“Nod if you know who I am.” Damon ordered, placing his hands on her shoulders and was shocked she hadn’t socked him for slapping her. “Olivia…”

She nodded, doing as Damon requested and touched her cheek with her hand, the realization of what he’d done suddenly zooming to the forefront of her mind. “Did you…hit me?” Olivia couldn’t believe it and stepped back when Damon opened his mouth. “How dare you.”

“I had to snap you out of whatever trance you went into before you made a scene.” Damon stated, rationalizing that his gentle smack had been for her own good. “I didn’t want to do it, Liva. You gave me no choice.”

“So slapping me was your way of helping me?” What made Damon think she was that naïve and stupid to actually believe the lie he just spewed out of his mouth? “Simone was right about you. You promised me you wouldn’t hurt me again and you did…!!”

Being a vampire, Damon knew how to control his emotions unlike a human, which is what Olivia was unfortunately. “That may be, but I had to calm you down somehow and, whether you want to believe this or not, it was necessary. Now pipe down and try to keep what little wits you have left. I didn’t hurt you either. It was just a small tap, if that.”

Not believing he stood there trying to justify what he did to her, Olivia began walking away, but Damon stopped her once again. “Let go of me.” She hissed and gasped when he pulled her right against his chest, one arm quickly snaking around her waist, those aquamarine eyes penetrating her soul. “Damon…”

His mouth suddenly covered hers, silencing any protest she might have had and felt her melt into his arms, unable to resist. Their tongues seared one another’s as Olivia’s arms wrapped around his neck, the fire rushing throughout her body from head to toe. At this point, even if Damon nearly killed her like the first time outside of Mystic Grill, Olivia still couldn’t push him away. Only when he knew Olivia needed air to breathe did Damon pull back, breaking the kiss and smirked at the dazed look in her golden eyes.

“Now that I have your attention and you’re calm, I’m only going to say this one last time, so clean your ears out.” Damon demanded in a low soft rumble, running his finger down her cheek lovingly. “If I wanted to hurt you, I would have already. It wasn’t my intention to hurt you outside of the grill, Liva. I would think after the mind-blowing night we had together you would’ve already forgiven me and trusted me a little more. Or am I wrong?”

Olivia was dealing with a very dangerous man who knew exactly what to do and say to manipulate her into trusting him. She knew it and, yet, here she was hanging on his every word instead of running in the opposite direction. Her parents were probably rolling over in their graves by now, her mother especially, but Olivia couldn’t help the intensity of her feelings for Damon Salvatore, even if he was a vampire.

“No.” She finally answered, reaching up to run a hand through her hair shakily. “You didn’t have to hit me though. You could’ve calmed me down by kissing me breathless like you just did.” Her words were nothing more than a mutter, but Olivia knew he still heard them.

“Clearly.” Damon muttered, brushing his lips against hers again and connected their foreheads. “Forgiven then?”

“Don’t let it happen again.” If Damon couldn’t read between the lines of that statement than that was his problem because it was the closest to an actual yes he was getting. “Now come on, we came here to find out what happened to Jenna.”

Damon smirked, enjoying this sudden take charge attitude Olivia procured and bowed, taking her hand as their fingers laced together. “Lead the way, Liva.” He gestured to the house and they walked across the street, spotting Stefan standing with Elena outside.

“Stefan…” Elena nudged him, looking over at Damon and Olivia heading their way.

“I asked him to come here.” Stefan explained, his mouth by her ear and watched Elena nod in understanding, his green eyes moving to his brother. “Olivia insisted on coming.”

Elena didn’t mind, glad to see Olivia was alive and well, especially after what Damon did to her. “It’s fine.” She assured her boyfriend, clasping his hand a little tighter. “Nice to see you again, Olivia, though I wish it was under better circumstances.”

“Me too.” Olivia could see the worry on Elena’s face and stepped forward, releasing Damon’s hand. “What happened?”

“We don’t know. The police are quarantining the house because they want it investigated. This isn’t the first fire that’s happened in Mystic Falls.” Elena informed them, though her eyes were solely on Olivia worriedly.

“How many fires have happened?” Olivia questioned, grabbing Elena’s hands and squeezed them when the girl hesitated, feeling her heart rate increasing. “Elena, you can trust me. I know you have a lot of questions about me, but right now I need you to tell me everything the police said.”

Elena was confused and it shone clear as day in her eyes, frowning deeply. “Why do you want to know?” She had to ask, glancing at Stefan briefly and watched him nod once, silently telling her Olivia could be trusted.

“Because my parents’ died in a fire recently.” Olivia wasn’t surprised by the astounded look that washed over Elena’s face next, nodding solemnly. “The authorities and investigators said it was an accident, that there was faulty wiring in our family home. Where did the fire start?”

“I-I…” Elena looked up at the sight of Jenna walking out of the house and rushed over to her. “Jenna, I’m so glad you’re okay.” She immediately threw her arms around her Aunt’s neck, hugging her tightly as a few tears slipped down her cheeks.

“Me too, Elena.” Jenna looked over at the girl she’d met the other night, wondering why she was here and pulled back.

“What happened?” Elena asked, having been kept out of the house while the police questioned Jenna, wiping her tears away quickly.

Jenna heaved a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I don’t know. They said the fire came from the basement. They’re going to have an investigator come in and take a look around. I thought it was my dryer catching on fire, but they went down there to take a quick look and assured me it wasn’t.” She explained tiredly, wrapping one arm around Elena’s shoulders. “They said they want me to stay somewhere else until they figure out what’s going on because apparently three other houses have caught on fire within the past week.”

“THREE?” Olivia exclaimed and immediately covered her mouth with her hand, amber eyes widening. “I-I’m sorry…I-I didn’t mean to eavesdrop…”

Elena smiled, waving her off dismissively. “Not like people won’t know about it by tomorrow or tonight even.” Mystic Falls wasn’t a big town so everyone knew everyone’s business, mostly. “Jenna, Olivia recently had a fire at her house as well.”

“What?” Jenna blinked, looking up at Olivia and felt her heart instantly go out to the woman. “Well thankfully we both survived.” Was it simply coincidental that this strange woman came into town the same time Jenna had a fire in her house or was this connected somehow?

“Jenna, forgive the interruption, but you are welcome to stay at the mansion for the time being.” Stefan offered, interjecting into the conversation, smiling charmingly. “We’d be happy to have you and Ric.”

Alaric Saltzman was the high school’s history teacher and had dated Jenna for the past three years, ever since he came to town. “That’s nice of you to offer, Stefan, but she’s staying with me.” A male voice sounded behind them and Jenna instantly broke away from Elena to run into his arms. Alaric caught her instantly, hugging her against him and cupped her face as the tears finally flowed, kissing them away. “I’m so glad you’re alright. What the hell happened?”

Jenna was in no condition to explain what happened twice and buried her face in Ric’s chest, clinging to him for dear life. “There was a fire in the basement. They’re going to have an investigator come and take a look tomorrow once the smoke clears out and it’s safe.” Elena explained, feeling her heart shattering at the sight of her distraught Aunt. “Has anyone seen Jeremy?”

“I’m right here.”

Elena whipped around and rushed into her brother’s arms, thankful he hadn’t been in the house when this happened. “Where the hell were you?” She demanded, pulling back to glare at him and felt Stefan wrap his arm around her shoulders from behind. “We were worried sick about you!”

“Well chill out, I’m fine and alive. I was hanging out with Tyler for a bit and his new girlfriend.” Jeremy said, looking over at the auburn haired woman staring at his Aunt with such heartbreak, which confused him. “Who is that?”

“Her name is Olivia and she’s Simone’s friend.” Elena replied, leaning against Stefan and tried stifling a yawn.

“You’re exhausted, Elena.” Stefan commented, worry in his eyes and pulled her away gently from Jeremy. “Come on, I’m taking you home.”

Shaking her head, Elena stepped away from him. “I’m not leaving Jenna.” With this fire incident, Elena was afraid that if she left, that would be the last time she saw her Aunt alive.

“I’m fine, Elena, I promise.” Jenna could tell how worried she was and had to ease her fears somehow. “I’m with Ric, you know he won’t let anything happen to me.”

“I don’t care, he can’t stop an arsonist if that’s what this was.” Elena argued, folding her arms in front of her chest. “You’d be much safer at the mansion, both of you. I’ll stay there with you and Jeremy will too. There’s plenty of room there. Stefan and Damon won’t let anything happen to us, you know that. Please Jenna, please just stay with them until we figure this out.”

This wasn’t good because Olivia didn’t want to stay under the same roof as her biological family. She also didn’t want them to die like her parents’ had either. “Jenna.” She watched the as the shaking blonde turned to face her, knowing she couldn’t let her insecurities get in the way of her family’s safety. “Elena’s right.” Olivia ignored the perplexed look that Damon shot her, suddenly grabbing her hands. “Please stay at the mansion until this is resolved.”

Jenna’s eyebrows furrowed, wondering exactly who this woman was and why she was in Mystic Falls. “Who are you?” She asked, suddenly feeling as though there was a connection between them and Jenna figured she was overly exhausted from the night’s events.

Tears formed in her amber eyes as Olivia slowly released Jenna’s hands, clearing her throat. “Just a person that’s lost far too much in the last couple of weeks and I don’t want Elena suffering the same thing.” She wasn’t ready yet, even though this would’ve been the perfect time to tell Jenna who she was. ‘She’s been through enough tonight, I’ll tell her some other time.’ Her mind rationalized and hand rest on her shoulder, breaking eye contact with Jenna to stare at Elena.

“She lost her parents in a fire, Jenna. It started in the basement too. Please, I don’t want anything happening to you.” For whatever reason Olivia decided to step in, Elena was grateful for it because it looked as though Jenna was considering staying at the mansion.

Knowing the only way to ease Elena’s fears was to do what she wanted, Jenna reluctantly nodded, hoping Ric didn’t mind this. “Fine, but only if Ric can come.” She stipulated, cracking a small smile when everyone nodded, including Damon. “Of course you would say yes since you two have a bromance going on.”

Damon balked, blinking, not expecting that to come out of Jenna’s mouth. “Hey now wait a minute…”

“Let’s just get out of here and get to the mansion.” Stefan cut his little brother off with an amused expression on his face, kissing the top of Elena’s head.

A few minutes later, everyone was piled into their vehicles and headed down the road toward the Salvatore mansion, hoping they could figure out the reasoning behind all these sudden fires.

Chapter 23

Pacing back and forth, Simone didn’t understand what was going on with Olivia and kept convincing herself that Damon had somehow compelled Olivia into feeling the way she did for him. Who in their right mind would trust that easily after nearly dying from a crushed throat? A week passed since the fire at Jenna’s and, the more Simone thought about it, the more she wanted to get Olivia away from Damon because she was legitimately scared he would end up killing or turning her. Those thoughts did not sit well with Simone and it didn’t help that Tyler kept drilling it into her head that the Salvatore’s could not be trusted, even if Olivia currently dated one of them.

So, in an attempt to get Olivia away from Damon, Simone went through with finding a house for both of them to rent or rent to own. Luckily, there was a small two bedroom white house on the same block as Jenna’s and the older couple just wanted to rent it out. Simone made the phone call and set up an appointment to go look at it, not wanting to sign up for anything unless she knew Olivia was on board. Once the appointment was set, Simone called Olivia, only for her cell phone to go straight to voicemail.

“Damn it.” Simone growled, tossing her own phone on the table and tore a hand through her hair in pure frustration.

“What’s wrong?” Tyler asked, walking out of the bathroom with a towel draped around his waist loosely.

“Livi’s phone is off AGAIN.” Simone practically spat that last word out, standing from the table and tried reigning her temper in. “I’m tired of leaving messages on her damn voicemail and waiting an entire day before she gets back to me because she’s too busy being corrupted by that damn monster!”

Tyler sighed and walked over, wrapping his arms tightly around Simone’s wait, burying his face in her neck. “You have to calm down because getting frustrated isn’t gonna change anything.” He said, feeling the hurt and frustration radiating from her equally warm body.

“Easier said than done, Tyler.” Simone wasn’t in the mood to be coddled and extracted herself from his arms, walking over to stare out the window. “I have to go over there and talk to her.”

“No.” Tyler shook his head, folding his arms in front of his chest. “There’s no reason for you to go over there. She’ll call you back.”

“Yeah, in a day and I can’t wait that long. That lady wants to show us the house tomorrow and she needs an answer by five tonight.” Simone informed him coolly, turning to face him with narrowed jade eyes. “I can take care of myself, Tyler. I don’t need a bodyguard.”

Dark eyes narrowed back at her as Tyler clenched his teeth, trying to keep his own temper in check. “I never said you did, but walking into enemy territory isn’t the brightest idea either, Simone. I don’t trust the Salvatore’s and they could rip you apart in two seconds if they wanted to. We’re only dangerous to them one night out of the month and that’s when there’s a full moon, or did you forget that?” He didn’t mean to sound condescending, but at the same time, Simone wasn’t thinking clearly.

“No, but I can’t just sit here and wait for something to happen to Olivia either. I was sworn to protect her, Tyler. I know when the Jackson’s died, so did the agreement, but in my heart it hasn’t changed.” Simone wished he could understand where she was coming from. “That woman is my best friend and I’ll be damned if I let her become a monster without a fight.”

“What makes you think she’ll become a vampire in the first place?” Tyler demanded in a softer voice, knowing getting bent out of shape wouldn’t help this situation any.

“I don’t, but she’s completely smitten with him.” Simone grunted in an annoyed tone and allowed Tyler to pull her into his arms, their lips brushing together softly.

“I hate fighting with you.” Tyler rumbled, running his hands up and down Simone’s back, trying to relieve some of the tension she felt. “I don’t mean to be overprotective, but I can’t help it.” He rained soft kisses all over her face, finally pressing his forehead to hers. “You’re the first woman I’ve had a real full connection with since I found out I had the curse. I don’t want to lose you.”

Smiling in spite of this current situation with Olivia, Simone couldn’t stop melting at Tyler’s sweet words and ran her finger down his cheek. “You won’t. Olivia won’t let anything happen to me. She has that vampire wrapped around her finger.” That much was obvious; Damon had bent over backwards for Olivia ever since he nearly killed her accidentally. “I have to talk to her and the only way to do that is to go to the mansion and yank her out of her sex slumber with Damon.”

Tyler hated it when Simone made sense and rationalized to him because he couldn’t argue with what she said. “Damn it...” He grunted, kissing her again and wished there was something he could do to convince her not to do this. “Can I at least come with you and wait outside in the car?”

“No. I have to go alone because you and Damon do not get along. That and I have to tell her my stipulations before we decide if we want to be roommates or not.” It wasn’t going to be the best conversation, but lately that’s all it seemed to be with Olivia. Their friendship was on the verge of ending and Simone couldn’t let it happen.

“I don’t understand why you have to get your own place when you’re more than welcome to live with me.” Tyler watched her jade eyes fly open in shock and smirked, running the pad of his thumb across her soft pliant lips. “That shouldn’t shock you, especially since we’ve spent every night together since we met practically.”

“I-It’s only been a week...” The seriousness in his dark eyes made Simone’s mouth suddenly turn as dry as a desert, a lump forming in her throat. “Tyler…”

Tyler pressed a finger to her lips, stopping her from speaking because he knew those words hadn’t been what Simone expected to hear. “I’m not gonna lie to you or hide how I feel, Simone. I’m falling for you. Everything about you I love. I know we’ve only known each other a week, but I know without a doubt you are the one I want to be with for the rest of my life. I want you with me always. You came to Mystic Falls for a reason, something brought you here besides Olivia’s family issues or the fact you vowed to protect her. Fate brought us together or a higher power and I’ve never been happier than when I am with you. I love you, Simone Turner.”

“I…” What the hell was Simone supposed to say after that heartfelt confession? “I-I have to go see Olivia. We’ll talk about this later, okay?” Her heart broke at the rejection in his dark eyes and Simone knew she couldn’t leave without some kind of reassurance. “I’m not leaving you, Tyler. I just need to go and…honestly, you’ve given me a lot to think about and mull over. I promise, I’ll call you as soon as I’m done with Olivia. Just give me some time to think this through.”

Sighing resignedly, Tyler nodded and hoped she meant what she said, that she wasn’t leaving him. “Simone.” He stopped her from walking out the door and grabbed her hand, pulling her into his arms as his lips crashed against hers, pouring every single feeling into it.

When Tyler finally broke the kiss, Simone felt as though she floated on a cloud and tried regaining her equilibrium. “This isn’t goodbye…right?” She murmured, feeling him cup her cheek as their lips met in a much softer kiss, melting against him again. “Tyler, tell me this isn’t goodbye.”

“It’s anything but goodbye.” He assured her in a soft rumble. “I’m yours as long as you want me. I just wanted to give you something to remember me by in case you do decide this is too intense for you.”

Simone grinned, rubbing her nose against his and knew if she didn’t leave right now, she would end up spending the night in Tyler’s bed. “I do want you. Now I really have to go. I’ll talk to you later.” She kissed him quickly before rushing out the door, hopped in her car and peeled out of there before Tyler could stop her again, heading to the Salvatore mansion.

Meanwhile, Olivia had done everything in her power to avoid being alone with Jenna over the past week. No matter how hard she tried, Olivia couldn’t find the courage to tell Jenna who she was. Though she was very grateful to Stefan and Damon for letting her family stay at the mansion until they figured out what caused all of these random fires in Mystic Falls lately. Damon and Stefan patrolled the area every night for a few hours and, so far, there wasn’t a sign or even a hint that someone could’ve done this intentionally.

It helped that Damon gave her a wonderful distraction with sex, which Olivia fully enjoyed. Every second and minute that ticked by Olivia fell deeper and harder for Damon. There was no stopping it. She knew it was dangerous to feel this intense for someone she knew for only a little over a week, but it happened and Olivia couldn’t ignore it. What shocked Olivia even more was the fact that, even though Damon nearly killed her by crushing her throat, she trusted him completely and wholeheartedly.

Currently, she was once again in Damon’s bed, staring up at the ceiling with his head on her chest, listening to her heartbeat. Olivia felt completely relaxed and ran her fingers through his hair, perfectly content to stay with him like this until the end of time. They just had another breathtaking encounter and slowly started coming down from their sexual high. How could someone who was undead and didn’t have a beating heart have so much passion and fire?

“What are you thinking about?” Damon asked in a soft low voice, enjoying the sound of her heart beating against his ear.

“Besides trying to figure out how to make my thighs stop trembling, nothing.” Olivia lied, hoping she sounded convincing and sighed when Damon lifted his head until those piercing aquamarine eyes locked with hers.

“Nice try.” He rumbled, shifting to where he hovered over her, propping his head on his hand and ran his fingertips over her smooth flat abdomen. “Try again.”

Chewing her bottom lip, Olivia hated how well Damon already knew her and sank further into the pillow, her auburn hair strewn all around her face. “I was just wondering how someone who is supposedly undead with no beating heart could have so much fire and passion when it comes to sex.” Her face flushed a deep crimson red when Damon’s eyebrow slowly rose, looking away from him.

Damon found her curiosity amusing and chuckled, wrapping his arm around her waist to pull her halfway under him, lips mere inches from hers. “As a vampire, every feeling and emotion is magnified by a thousand, which is why most of us flip the switch on our emotions so we don’t feel anything. Our sexual arousal is much more intense and heightened than humans, which is why my appetite to be with you is insatiable. Vampires use seduction and sex to trap their prey as well.” He probably shouldn’t have told her that part of it, but Damon wasn’t about keep anything from her and it was the cold hard truth.

“Oh…” Olivia shuddered involuntarily, knowing she was in the arms of someone with no soul and could easily become his prey if he became hungry. “What’s it like to be a vampire?” That question popped out of her mouth before Olivia could stop it and blinked, covering her mouth with her hand. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t…”

Smiling, Damon pressed a finger to her lips and covered her mouth with his, stopping her from stammering over an unnecessary apology. “You didn’t say anything wrong, Liva.” He murmured reassuringly, brushing his lips against each cheek gently, tenderly. “To answer your question, it’s exquisite. You have an enhanced healing ability; you can move faster than a speeding bullet and jump as high as some of the trees in the woods around here. But there are downfalls to being what I am too.” He didn’t want to misinform her and make it seem like being a vampire was all peaches and cream because it wasn’t.

“Such as?”

“For one, there’s a lot of ways for us to be killed and severely injured. Vervain is our enemy, even though Stefan and I are immune to it unless we ingest a huge amount at one time. Any kind of wood hurts us to the point where we sometimes wish death would come. We feel pain like humans if we’re cut and bleed, though we heal quickly. It doesn’t take away the pain and agony though.” Damon sat up and flew over to the bar, suddenly needing a drink with this current conversation, pouring himself a nice healthy dose of scotch. “Then there’s the thirst for human blood. It’s constant. It takes centuries to learn control and, even then, a vampire can slip up if the thirst becomes too overwhelming. Your blood, for instance, is like ambrosia to me and you have no idea how much I want to just sink my teeth into you and taste you again. But I won’t unless you give me permission, that’s how much control I have. I’ve mastered it over the years, for the most part.”

His words left her breathless and all Olivia could do was sit up staring at him, drawing the white sheet up to cover her body. “Have you ever…turned someone into a vampire?” She hesitantly asked, her heartbeat pounding vigorously against her chest and could see the intensity fill his hypnotic eyes.

A slow smirk curved his sensual lips as Damon downed the shot of scotch, slowly setting the glass down on the bar and sauntered back over to slither into the bed beside her. “Why the sudden curiosity?” He knew why she asked and suddenly felt the thirst for her consume him, pulling her to straddle his lap with his hands clamped on her sides. “Tell me.”

“I don’t know…” Olivia gasped when Damon brushed against her quivering sex and gripped his shoulders instinctively, a soft hiss flying from her open mouth. “Damon…”

“Tell me or I won’t give you what you want.” He stated, sitting up and wrapped her legs around his waist to where she was fully open to him, teasing her more.

The sheer friction of his hardened shaft brushing continuously against her was making Olivia heady with need, the passion haze clouding her mind again and moaned controllably. “Damon…” She whimpered, leaning over to try kissing him, but he moved at the last minute, making her groan next. “You don’t play fair.”

“Never have.” He rumbled amusedly, continuing to rotate his hips, but refused to fill her body until she told him the reasoning behind all the sudden vampire questions. “Now tell me and stop beating around the bush.”

Just before Olivia could open her mouth to end her torment, a knock sounded at Damon’s bedroom door and Stefan’s voice flowed through it. “Olivia, Simone is downstairs and she’s demanding to talk to you. I suggest you get dressed and come out of there before she ends up coming up here.” He warned softly and walked away to go join Elena in his bedroom.

Staring at each other, Olivia could only imagine what Simone wanted and reluctantly pulled away from Damon to dress, heading downstairs a few minutes later.

Chapter 24

“You summoned me?”

Simone turned around with a tense smile, staring back at her best friend she hadn’t seen in a week. “Since you refuse to answer your phone, I had to come over and pull you away from your sex marathon in order to talk.” She replied evenly, folding her arms in front of her chest.

“If it was a sex marathon, I wouldn’t be sleeping. Damon DOES let me rest…occasionally.” No matter how hard she tried, Olivia couldn’t keep the smirk off of her face and stepped forward, doing the same thing Simone did. “What is so important you had to come over here?”

Snorting, Simone had to mentally count to ten before she ended up lashing out at Olivia, breathing in and out slowly. “I came here to tell you that I found a place for us in town. It’s a small two bedroom house, all one floor and all carpeting except for the kitchen and bathroom.” She explained, keeping this conversation as neutral as possible. “The couple wants to meet with us today as soon as possible because they’re on their way to Florida next week, so their house won’t be up for grabs much longer.”

Olivia didn’t know how to respond because she thought, since they were on opposing sides lately, Simone no longer wanted to be roommates. “Okay, what time?” She asked, walking into the kitchen to grab a glass of water and wondered what Damon would think of her living with Simone.

“No later than five, they said.” Simone replied softly, heaving a sigh and stepped into the kitchen after Olivia, remembering their last conversation in here that ended in an argument. “Livi, what’s happening to us? We used to be closer than sisters and now we’re at each other’s throats all the time lately.” She knew why too, they both did. It was because they were dating different species that were natural born enemies.

Shutting her eyes briefly, Olivia kept her back to Simone and took a long slow sip of water, the guilt filling her from head to toe. “I don’t know.” That was the honest truth. “We’ve never fought except over dress up clothes when we were kids.”

They both laughed and Simone walked around the island toward Olivia, tempted to pull her into a hug. “I miss my friend, Livi.” She admitted openly, frowning. “I don’t care who you want to be with. Hell, at this point, it could be the devil himself and I wouldn’t care as long as our friendship remained intact. Lately, I feel like it hasn’t and I know it’s partially my fault. I haven’t been there for you because I’ve been so consumed with Tyler and I’m sorry for that. So much has happened, but I don’t want to lose the only friend I have on this earth over a stupid argument.”

“It wasn’t a stupid argument, Sim.” Olivia tried not to sound agitated, but couldn’t help it because what her friend had said really hurt. “You pointed out the fact I don’t have a future with Damon just because he’s a vampire. Then you jumped to conclusions and demanded me not to become a vampire. I don’t care what you are and if you were bred to hate vampires, you have no right telling me what I can and can’t do with my life. Because it is exactly that – Mine.”

Simone deserved everything Olivia said and lowered her head in shame, knowing she’d been way out of line the last time they spoke. “I know it is.” She murmured quietly, taking another hesitant step toward her friend. “I had no right demanding anything from you, Livi. I didn’t mean to do it, but you have to understand that I made a vow to protect you from the very thing you are thinking of becoming. Do you have any idea how hard that is for me, being what I am? Your parents are probably rolling in their graves right now because I’m not doing what I promised and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”

“Simone, I did not say I was going to become a vampire. I just said I wasn’t promising anything as far as not becoming one. At this point, my relationship with Damon is still so fresh and we’re barely beginning to know each other.” Olivia stated, hoping Simone heard the words coming out of her mouth instead of letting them go in one ear and right out the other. “I love you. You’ve been my sister since before I can remember and I don’t like fighting with you like this. But you have to respect my decision and support me the way I respect and support you. Even if I am dating your mortal enemy.”

Reluctantly, Simone nodded and cracked a small smile, thankful that Olivia was talking to her in a peaceful manner. “You’re right. I shouldn’t be jumping to conclusions when it comes to you and Damon. You were completely supportive about me and Tyler, even when I abandoned you.” The guilt still ate away at her for that, but Simone couldn’t change what happened and hoped she could make up for it somehow. “I’m sorry, that’s all I can really say.”

Olivia smiled and finally closed the distance between them, hugging Simone around the neck tightly as tears stung her eyes. “It’s okay; just remember that I would never make a life alternating decision like that without thinking about it first.” Pulling back, Olivia wiped a few tears away from her eyes and stepped back, putting her water glass in the sink. “How about we make an agreement not to discuss our men with each other from now on?”

Not liking that suggestion, Simone knew deep in her heart there was no other way around it and forced her head to nod. “I hate to agree since we’ve always told each other everything, but given the current situation, I think it’s a good idea.” It would also save their friendship from further turmoil.

“We should go if we wanna see this house.” Olivia said, trying to rid the awkwardness between them and started following Simone toward the front door. They both nearly jumped when Damon appeared before them, blocking their way out. “You need to wear bells or something.”

“Where are you going?” Damon asked, ignoring that comment and folded his arms in front of his muscular chest, eyes narrowing.

He wore a long sleeved black shirt that had two buttons on top undone and clung to every muscle of his broad chest, showing just enough skin to drive Olivia crazy. It didn’t help his legs were encased in a pair of tight dark blue jeans, the material molding to his perfectly sculpted backside. His hair was damp, fresh out of the shower and the smell of his aftershave permeated the air, making Olivia heady. All she wanted to do at that moment was jump in his arms and go right back upstairs to pick up where they left off before Simone came over.

“I’ll be waiting out in the car, Livi.” Simone muttered, jolting Olivia out of her thoughts and walked past Damon out the front door, closing it.

Olivia had to stay strong and knew she couldn’t blow Simone off, not when they just reconciled. “I’m going to look at a house with Sim that we might rent together.” Why was her voice suddenly shaky? As much as Olivia had surrendered her body over to Damon, she couldn’t help feeling nervous around him whenever they weren’t naked in bed together.

Damon smiled and stepped forward, running his knuckle gently down her cheek. “So you’ve decided to move here after all?” It was almost too good to be true, considering how hell bent Olivia had wanted to leave Mystic Falls behind.

Turning crimson, Olivia sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and lowered her gaze from his. “Maybe.” She murmured quietly and Damon lifted her chin instantly with his fingers until those beautiful amber orbs met aquamarine.

“I hope you do because I’m only getting started with you.” His voice remained in a low rumble and the sound reverberated through Olivia right down between her thighs, the smell of her arousal instantly filling Damon’s nose. “Mmm you better leave now before I end up carting you back upstairs, Liva.”

“I’m going after this…” She cupped his face and brought his lips to hers, giving him a passionate kiss full of future promises, not pulling away until they both needed air to breathe. “See you tonight.” Olivia rushed out the front door before Damon had a chance to stop her, heading toward Tyler’s car that Simone apparently borrowed.

Simone shook her head when Olivia slid into the passenger seat, fighting back the urge to ask why she looked like a cat that just ate the canary. “Ready?” When Olivia nodded, Simone circled the driveway and headed back into town toward the house that possibly held their future. “So, how’s it been living with Jenna under the same roof for the past week?”

The grin instantly vanished from Olivia’s face as she stared out the window and rolled it down, needing some fresh air. “I’ve been avoiding her…” This was going to end up becoming a Damon conversation, so Olivia had to answer questions carefully. “I know I need to tell her who I am and I will soon, I’m just not ready yet.”

“What are you waiting for, Livi?” Simone didn’t mean to sound pushy, but that’s what her friend needed and what her vampire lover refused to do. “There’s something holding you back. Talk to me.”

“Rejection and ruining her life by telling her that the woman she thought she knew for years had a bastard child with a man she cheated on her husband with.” Olivia shut her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly wishing Damon was with them. “Hell, she probably won’t believe a word I say anyway.”

“You don’t know that unless you take the risk, Livi.” Simone repeated everything she’d already said and felt frustrated, wishing there was something more she could do or say to make this easier for Olivia. Unfortunately, there wasn’t. “I’m not trying to pressure you into talking to Jenna, but with everything that’s happened lately…” Her words trailed off because Simone didn’t want to say what she was thinking.

“I know, I know…” Olivia sighed; clasping her hands in her lap and knew Simone was right. “Believe it or not, I’ve been thinking about how to approach her with it.”

“And?”

“I’ll do it tonight when we get back.” Olivia couldn’t put this off anymore, it was time to come clean about everything and the reason why she came to Mystic Falls. “Elena is cooking dinner for everyone; she’s even invited you and Tyler. I don’t know if Stefan told him or not though. I know Damon won’t.” Her amber eyes suddenly locked on Simone and Olivia reached over, grabbing her hand. “I need you there for support, Sim. Please say you’ll come.”

That was hard because Simone knew Tyler couldn’t stand being around vampires for a long period of time. Friend or not, she couldn’t ignore what she was and how she felt about them either, especially Damon Salvatore. No matter what Olivia said, Simone couldn’t forgive him for what he did to her best friend and probably never would. However, when Simone pulled the car into the driveway and finally turned jade eyes to lock with desperate amber, she knew she couldn’t let Olivia down again.

“I’ll be there, though I can’t say Tyler will.” Simone would end up arguing with Tyler again, she feared, but abandoning Olivia wasn’t an option and he would have to accept it. “I promise I’ll be there for you, Livi.”

Olivia smiled with relief and reached over, hugging her friend close tightly. “Thank you, Sim. I need you now more than ever and I’m sorry about all the spats we’ve had lately.”

“It’s okay, let’s just move on and forget they happened.” Simone pulled back and cut the ignition, shoving the keys in the bag she considered a purse. “Come on, let’s go in there and get this over with.”

As soon as Olivia stepped through the front door, she instantly fell in love with the small house and wanted it. She didn’t have to look in the rooms or anything, thankful she’d been brought up with money. Simone’s jaw dropped when Olivia made an offer to buy the house outright, doubling what the couple originally offered. Apparently, Olivia really wanted this house and Simone didn’t blame her because it was quite charming, having a homey feeling to it.

The couple wanted it to be rent only, but after hearing Olivia’s offer, they couldn’t refuse. They could use the money to move permanently to Florida, so everyone won. It was a small dent in Olivia’s bank account, but well worth it because now she could be close to Damon for as long as he wanted her. If things didn’t work out, she could always leave and move back to Atlanta, but Mystic Falls had grown on Olivia over the past week and a half. She suddenly understood why her biological family and adopted parents lived and grew up here, wanting to follow in their footsteps.

Within a few hours, the documents were signed and both girls forked over their share for the house, writing separate checks. The couple asked them if they could wait a week before moving in because that was the soonest they could get everything out. The girls didn’t have a problem with it because they still had to make arrangements to move all of their things from Atlanta. Olivia didn’t have anything except the bag of clothes she’d brought with her because everything she owned had burned in the fire.

Simone decided they had to stop for a quick celebratory drink at Mystic Grill, which Olivia didn’t mind. They chattered away about everything they were going to do to the house and shared their happiness with Matt and Bonnie. Elena had invited them over for dinner that night as well, which immediately heightened Olivia’s nervousness and wondered if she should put off telling Jenna since so many people were coming over for dinner. They left after having two drinks and headed to the nearest dress shop since Elena sent Olivia a quick text message, informing her tonight’s dinner was semi-formal wear.

After another hour of sifting through dresses, Olivia finally found one along with Simone, both of them walking out satisfied. Simone pulled up in front of the mansion and cut the ignition, looking over at Olivia and noticed how nervous she was. She reached over and took Olivia’s hand, squeezing it encouragingly with a reassuring smile. Opening her mouth to say something, Simone stopped short when her cell phone went off and knew it was Tyler answering her text she’d sent him at the dress shop regarding Elena’s offer.

“So, is he coming or not?” Olivia asked impatiently, trying to keep the haste out of her tone, but with how nervous she was, it wasn’t happening.

“Surprisingly yes, though he said to just get ready here since he’s helping his Mom with something at the Lockwood mansion.” Simone had hoped to get some alone time with Tyler, but unfortunately it would have to wait. “What time is dinner?”

“Seven, we have two hours, which is why Tyler is telling you to get ready here.” Olivia answered, stepping out of the car and reached in the back to pull her dress out, which was wrapped in plastic on a hanger. “Come on, they won’t bite.”

“Very funny.” Simone snorted, stepping out seconds later and followed Olivia inside, refusing to lower her guard.

The sound of the front door closing echoed ominously behind Olivia and she just stood there for a minute, taking a few deep breaths, knowing tonight everything was about to change.

Chapter 25

“So, how was the house?” Damon promptly asked, stepping into the huge glass shower to join Olivia, placing his hands on her slender hips.

Olivia turned around with a smile and continued lathering her hair while the warm shower sprays cascaded down her body. “We bought it.” She answered, watching his eyebrow slowly raise and tilted her head back into the water, being careful not to get soap in her eyes. “It was too charming and adorable not to double the offer. They took it instantly.”

Damon blinked, not expecting to hear that and took a few seconds to let that mull over in his head, the realization of it. “So…you now own a house in Mystic Falls?” He wanted to make sure he’d heard her correctly, smiling widely when she nodded and pulled her into his arms out of the sprays.

“Co-own, but yes. I have so much to do as far as furnishing the place since everything I owned, besides the luggage of clothes and accessories I have, burned in the fire.” Olivia wasn’t looking forward to going shopping and decided the majority of it would be done online. “I take it you’re happy about this?”

“Of course I am, it means you’ll be permanently closer to me.” Though Damon wasn’t happy with the fact the house wasn’t fully hers and she co-owned it with her wolf friend. “Let me show you just how happy I am.”

Before Olivia could protest, Damon’s mouth covered hers and anything she wanted to say flew out of her mind. Damon loved how, every time he kissed her, Olivia melted in his arms and never wanted it to end. Even if she was human, this woman had managed to put a spell on him because Damon couldn’t get enough of her.

Every time he woke up with Olivia in his bed, he fell more in love with her and knew she was the one for him, his other half. The only thing that worried him was her wolf friend, Simone, would somehow convince Olivia not to be with him anymore. Damon was going to have to handle that problem quickly, especially since the wolf would be living under the same roof as her.

He wasn’t about to lose Olivia unless there was a stake driven through his heart.

“Mmm Damon, the dinner…” Olivia breathed, wrapping her legs around his waist as soon as he lifted her, pressing her back against the glass shower wall under the hot sprays.

“We have time and they can always start without us.” He rumbled huskily, wanting to skip right to dessert and began running his tongue down the side of her neck. “I need you, Liva.”

How the hell was she supposed to deny him? “Damon…” Olivia groaned in both frustration and need, her mind already clouding in a passion haze, trying to fight it off because of the dinner. “We shouldn’t…”

Damon smirked, loving how she tried putting up a fight even as her body betrayed her, continuing his administrations. “We’ll be quick.” He grunted, already pressing his hard shaft against her soaking sex and enjoyed how quickly she became ready for him.

Exactly a half an hour later, both Damon and Olivia stepped out of the shower, both sexually sated for the moment. Olivia was one big ball of nerves as she sat down on the bed with her purse, pulling out some eye shadow, eyeliner, foundation and gloss. She didn’t know why she bothered with makeup considering what was going to happen tonight with Jenna. Olivia still hadn’t told Damon, or rather didn’t have the chance, because she’d been attacked in the shower.

Not that she was complaining or anything.

Damon could feel the nervousness radiating from Olivia and wondered what bothered her, sifting through his closet trying to decide what to wear. Even during the shower sex, he could feel Olivia’s distance and didn’t like it, hoping it wasn’t because of the wolf. He might have to kill Simone on principal if the woman filled Olivia’s mind with negative thoughts about their budding relationship. Though, something in the back of his mind told Damon it had nothing to do with them, which eased him a little.

“What’s on your mind, Liva?” He asked, walking over to the bed with a long sleeved dark blue dress shirt in his hand and sat beside her, taking her hand lacing their fingers together. “Not me, is it?”

Olivia snapped her head up at his question and immediately shook her head, shifting to fully face him. “No Damon, of course not.” She reached up to cup his face with her hand, accepting a soft kiss from him and sighed gently. “I just have some things on my mind, but I promise they have nothing to do with you.”

Damon feigned to be hurt, pressing a hand over his chest. “Oh you wound me and here I thought I was all that was on your beautiful mind.” He smirked when she smiled in spite of the nerves and lifted her to sit sideways on his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Talk to me, what’s going on?”

Chewing her bottom lip, Olivia kept her eyes lowered to her lap and leaned her head against Damon’s shoulder when he began rubbing her back. “It’s Jenna.” She admitted quietly, closing her eyes to relish in Damon’s comfort and didn’t want to move. “I’m telling her tonight.”

“I see.” Damon didn’t stop caressing her back and moved his hand up to her wet hair, kissing her forehead softly. “No wonder I feel the nerves pouring from you in gallons and your heart rate has sped up. You have to calm down and breathe, Liva.”

“I know, I’m trying.” Olivia whispered, suddenly extracting herself from Damon’s arms and stood up on shaky legs, tears filling her amber eyes. “I can’t do this. How the hell am I supposed to do this? I don’t even know these people and I’m about to destroy them!”

Damon stood up instantly and wrapped his arms tightly around Olivia from behind, pressing her back tightly against his chest, increasing pressure when she tried fighting him off. “Getting yourself worked up over this won’t solve anything or do you any good. You need to breathe, get dressed and take one step at a time. Because if you go down there with how nervous you are right now, you’ll end up blurting out the truth at the dinner table and I know that’s not what you want.”

He was right and Olivia physically relaxed against him, thankful she hadn’t started her makeup because huge tears were currently sliding down her cheeks. Olivia didn’t speak for a few minutes and simply stood there in Damon’s arms, breathing in through the nose and out of the mouth slowly. Remaining calm was the key to tonight’s dinner because the last thing Olivia wanted to do was ruin everyone’s good time.

“That’s my girl.” He murmured when he both felt and heard her heartbeat return to normal, turning her around until her stunning amber eyes met his. “You can do this, Liva, and I’m here for you. I’m not going anywhere.”

Olivia smiled watery and reached up on her tiptoes to hug him tightly around the neck, breathing Damon’s scent in. “What would I do without you?” She whispered in his ear and felt his arms wrap around her once again, holding her close.

“Come on, we’re running behind and Elena will skin us alive if we’re late.” Not that Damon overly minded making a grand entrance with Olivia, but he also didn’t want her any more nervous than she was.

Reluctantly stepping away, Olivia wiped the stray tears away and grabbed her makeup from the bed, heading into the bathroom to start the transformation. Her makeup was simple black eyeliner with shimmery silvery bronze eye shadow to match the dress she picked out. Elena said tonight was semi-formal, so Olivia did the best she could and took Simone’s help in finding the perfect dress. Her lips were painted a simple light brown that shimmered, but didn’t look over the top, just adding enough to make her natural beauty shine further.

Olivia decided to leave her hair down, though she curled the ends to give her auburn hair bounce and slid a silvery bronze clip in her hair. Glancing in the mirror one final time, Olivia knew there was nothing else to be done except clipping her long silver dangling earrings on along with a matching silver necklace. The design had lines that went from short to long, the longest necklace line being in the center before it started becoming shorter on the other side.

Walking out of the bathroom, Olivia grabbed her dress from the bed while Damon busied getting ready, his back facing her. She made the mistake of glancing over at him and felt her breath hitch at the sight, her mouth already watering. His outfit was so simple yet classy, the silk dark blue long sleeved shirt stretching across his muscular chest showed off his defined frame. He had the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the top two buttons were undone on top, showing just a hint of chest. He wore a simple pair of black dress pants and black shoes, his black hair still haphazard in a messy sexy style only Damon could pull off.

Olivia had to forcefully pull her hungry eyes away from him long enough to zoom back in the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Damon had heard her breath hitch and the way her heart accelerated while she devoured him whole visually, a smirk curving his lips. He wondered why Olivia wanted to keep whatever she was going to wear tonight a secret, having a feeling he would have to use all restraint not to attack her.

The dress was long, strapless and sequined with featured intricate sequin-embellishments from the fitted sweetheart bodice to the floor length A-line skirt. It was silver on the top of the sweetheart neckline, but changed to gold and then a deep brown that almost had a purple tint to it, the colors shimmering under the bathroom lights. The darker shade of the waist accented every curve of her body before flowing down her legs freely. Staring in the mirror, Olivia hardly believed the same blubbering woman from earlier was looking back at her in a stunning reflection.

Damon waited exactly ten minutes before walking over to the bathroom door and tapped it lightly with his knuckles. “If you don’t come out, I’m coming in there.” He rumbled through it, wanting to give Olivia the opportunity to emerge on her own and knew how shy she was.

“I’m coming.” She called back, shutting her eyes briefly and took one last deep breath before turning away from the mirror, opening the door almost hesitantly.

The wait had definitely been worth every second as Damon took in the magnificent site in front of him, almost afraid to touch Olivia. He did not want to muse her up in anyway, though his animalistic vampiric side screamed at him to forget eating food when he had this delectable creature in his grasp. Of course, Damon pushed that aside and extended his hand with a heart-stopping smile, his eyes never leaving amber orbs when Olivia’s hand slipped into his without reluctance.

“You look…I can’t think of a word right now to describe how truly beautiful you are, Liva.” Damon said truthfully, very carefully turning her around in one slow circle to admire every inch of her, the dress really making her eyes pop. “I’ve met a lot of women in the past 172 years I’ve been on this earth, but I can honestly say I’ve never seen anyone as breathtaking as you.”

Olivia flushed from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes, her feet encased in simple silver two inch heels that strapped around the ankles. “You clean up nice yourself, Damon.” She replied softly, letting Damon pull her into his arms and was shocked when all he did was feather lightly brush his lips against hers.

“Are you ready for this?” He asked, becoming serious for a moment and ran his finger down her cheek, aquamarine eyes filled with concern.

Olivia nodded, swallowing hard and felt Damon release her hand to offer his arm, another smile flitting across her lips. “As long as you’re there with me, I can get through anything.” That sounded corny, but it was the truth and Olivia blushed when Damon just flashed another smirk her way.

Together, they headed out of the bedroom and stopped short at the sight of Tyler Lockwood consuming Simone in the hallway against the wall. Her legs were wrapped around his waist while practically sucking her lips off of her face from how hard he kissed her. Tyler could feel eyes on them, but didn’t care as he ran his hand up Simone’s bare leg to her thigh, loving the feel of her fingers delving in his black thick hair. Simone moaned uncontrollably and started reaching down to unsnap his pants, only for his hand to stop her, their lips reluctantly parting.

“We have company.” He grumbled in her ear and continued pressing her against the wall, trying to restrain himself from screwing Simone right there in the hallway of the mansion.

“W-What?” Simone blinked and looked over his shoulder at the sight of Olivia and Damon staring back at them, immediately turning a deep crimson red. “Oh-Oh god…”

Tyler chuckled when Simone promptly shoved him away from her and smoothed her hands down the length of her dress, which was a little more revealing than Olivia’s. Not that Tyler was complaining because he definitely wasn’t and looked forward to removing it from Simone’s gorgeous body later on after they finished here. He wore a simple long sleeved silk black dress shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and black dress pants along with shiny black dress shoes.

The top three buttons were undone to expose his chest since Tyler hated dressing up and felt confined, wanting to be as comfortable as possible. Apparently, his look lit something inside Simone because she’d been the one to attack him in the hallway when he knocked on her door, telling her it was time to go down to dinner. Simone had opened the door, gave him a brief onceover and shoved him against the wall kissing him fervently.

Simone wore a simple red strapless dress made of soft chiffon fabric, which constructed a ruched bodice that patterned with a sweetheart neckline and straight-cut back. The bodice hugged her curves to perfection and the Grecian waist flowed down delicately to a floor length A-line skirt with a front side slit, exposing her beautifully toned legs. The back revealed a piece of flyaway chiffon that added elegance to the dress and Simone had two inch red open toed heels on her feet. She had a simple red choker around her neck and red studs in her ears, her honey blonde hair piled up on top of her head in what looked like a million curls.

“If you two are quite finished…” Damon cleared his throat, knowing him and Olivia were just as guilty since they had shower sex prior to getting ready. However, what the wolves didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.

“For now.” Tyler promised, pulling Simone in his arms and gave her one last passionate kiss before starting to guide her down the stairs.

Olivia shook her head, not able to keep the smile off her face and couldn’t remember the last time she saw Simone so happy with a man. “Let’s get this over with.” She muttered to where only Damon could hear, feeling him bring her hand up to brush his lips against the back of it and both of them followed the wolves down to the dining area.

Tonight, everything was about to change and Olivia could only hope it didn’t end in a complete catastrophe.

Chapter 26

Dinner consisted of fillet mignon, sour cream potatoes, green bean casserole, buttery Brussels sprouts, honey baked beans with bacon bits, buttermilk rolls, some kind of red Jell-O mold and a Caesar salad with all the trimmings. Olivia couldn’t believe the incredible spread on the table and this was only dinner. She couldn’t imagine what Elena had planned for dessert and felt her stomach rumble quietly, begging her to eat.

Damon pulled a chair out, smiling as Olivia sat down and waited until the women were seated first. He was old school and had dinner table manners instilled in him, same with Stefan. Tyler noticed what the Salvatore brothers did and followed their lead, pulling Simone’s chair out for her.

Matt did the same thing with Bonnie, Jeremy following suit to his current girlfriend, Teresa Green. Caroline had a current boyfriend by the name of Aaron Green, who was a military police officer and home on temporary leave. Teresa and Aaron were brother and sister, though they rarely got along, mostly because Teresa had a rebellious streak while Aaron tried showing her the error of her ways.

Their family had recently moved to Mystic Falls and had no idea of the supernatural beings they lived around. Caroline refused to tell Aaron about being a vampire. Sophomore year, Caroline had been changed into one by Katherine Pierce, the same woman who changed the Salvatore brothers. She’d gotten into a horrible car accident with Tyler and Matt, who she’d been dating at the time, and ended up having life-threatening injuries.

Damon gave her his blood to heal her so she wouldn’t die while in the hospital and Katherine paid her a visit, smothering her with a pillow. Because she died with vampire blood in her system, Caroline woke up in transition and fed on a bag of human blood she craved, permanently changing her into a vampire. It took her a little while, but Caroline adapted to what she was and couldn’t be mad at Damon for helping her, especially since she enjoyed being what she was.

Jeremy wasn’t supernatural, but he did have the ability to see ghosts, thanks to Bonnie. They had dated a few years ago and Jeremy ended up being shot in the chest accidentally, killing him. Bonnie begged and pleaded with the witch spirits of her ancestry to bring him back to life, but it came at a price. Ever since Jeremy had his life restored, he could see and speak to spirits that surrounded Mystic Falls. He also adapted to his newfound ‘gift’ and channeled it positively, helping the ghosts with whatever they needed in order to gain some kind of peace.

As Olivia looked around the table, she noticed Jenna and Alaric were nowhere to be found and wondered what was going on. She wanted to ask Elena, but Olivia so too nervous and was afraid she’d end up sounding like a hysterical idiot. So she kept her mouth shut and shoveled some salad on her first plate, passing the huge bowl around the table. How the hell could she eat when her stomach felt as though it might cave in because of her nerves?

Halfway through the salad, -Olivia picked at hers mostly and shuffled it around on her plate- Jenna and Alaric finally joined them, apologizing for their tardiness. Judging by the flushed expression on Jenna’s face and Alaric’s crooked tie, Olivia easily put two and two together, trying to hide a sudden smirk. She shared a look with Damon and immediately regretted it, adverting her gaze down at her plate once again.

“Sorry we’re late.” Jenna apologized, after sitting down with Alaric, and began shoveling salad on their plates. “This looks delicious, Elena. How did you manage to cook all of this?”

“I had help.” Elena replied modestly, shrugging and smiled as Stefan kissed the back of her hand affectionately.

“It’s delicious.” He murmured quietly, releasing her hand and finished his salad.

“So Olivia,” Elena directed stirred the conversation toward her newfound friend while spooning potatoes on her plate. “How did you manage to find your way to Mystic Falls?”

Olivia dropped her fork instantly, ready to take a bite out of the green bean casserole and blinked, not expecting that question. All eyes were on her. Olivia suddenly wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole, knowing she had to gather her wits before she ended up vomiting the salad she just forced herself to consume. She flashed a smile that didn’t reach her eyes and leaned back against the chair, locking eyes briefly with Simone, begging her to jump into the conversation.

Simone didn’t though.

This was it. Olivia couldn’t lie anymore and dabbed her mouth with her napkin, setting it on the table. “I was lead here by my deceased parents. They recently died…in a fire and my mother wrote me a letter that basically told me I was adopted as a baby and my biological family lived here.” She was very careful not to lock eyes with Jenna or Elena because that would be a dead giveaway and folded her hands in her lap, already feeling tears sting the back of her eyes.

“My goodness, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know…” Elena felt terrible for asking her such a personal question and lowered her eyes to her lap, only for Stefan to grab it again.

“It’s alright, Elena. You didn’t know and, honestly, everyone at this table was bound to find out eventually.” Olivia flashed a reassuring smile and felt part of the weight lift from her shoulders, thankful she hadn’t started crying.

“Where are you from?” Jenna asked, very intrigued by this newfound information and ignored Alaric’s warning glare.

“Atlanta.” If Jenna only knew she was the family Olivia spoke about in the letter, she wouldn’t have the gentle smile on her face that she did at that moment. “We had a beautiful home on the outskirts of the city. I had a great life…until it was taken away from me.”

Jenna reached across the table and grabbed Olivia’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “No matter if you were adopted, they sounded like they loved you, Olivia. Never forget that. My big sister, Miranda…” Suddenly, sadness entered Jenna’s eyes as she thought about her deceased family, but kept the smile on her face. “Miranda and her husband, Grayson, adopted Elena. She wasn’t really their child, she was Grayson’s brother’s actually, but he’d gotten a teenage girl pregnant and they were far too young to be parents. So my brother-in-law and sister took her in as a baby and they loved her like their own. Elena didn’t find out until after their death a few years ago from her biological father, who is also dead now.”

Blinking, huge tears slid down Olivia’s cheeks as she immediately took her hand out of Jenna’s and felt her heartbeat kick up several notches. “M-Miranda? M-Miranda Sommers-Gilbert?” When Jenna nodded and looked confused, Olivia stood up from the dinner table abruptly, paling. “Y-You’re telling me she’s dead?”

“Yes...” Jenna stood up as well, frowning. “Did you…know Miranda?”

This was a mistake, a HUGE mistake, and Olivia wished she hadn’t told the truth about why she was here. “No.” She whispered, her heart breaking because of her dead sister that she never knew existed, the tears not stopping.

Elena was on her feet and walked around the table toward Olivia, wanting to try calming her down somehow. “Olivia, breathe.” She was shocked to see that Damon got to his feet right after Olivia did and currently had his hands on her shoulders, not saying a word.

This was her…half-niece. Elena wasn’t really Miranda’s, but she was Miranda’s brother-in-law’s biological daughter. So technically, Elena was still family, even though they weren’t the same blood. However, because Jeremy was biologically Miranda’s, he was her actual nephew. This had to be the most screwed up family tree in history and Olivia felt her mind reeling from all this information, her amber eyes never leaving Elena.

“Elena…” Olivia sniffled and looked away from her to stare back at Simone, who just gave her one simple nod. “I didn’t want to do it this way. I didn’t want to come here and ruin people’s lives. I just wanted to meet the people that were kept from me my entire life. I never wanted to hurt anyone and I didn’t know about…” She was rambling and stopped when Damon squeezed her shoulders, trying to give her the strength she desperately needed.

“What are you talking about?” Now Elena was more confused than ever and felt Stefan behind her, not needing to turn around because his hand rested on her waist. “What do you mean? I don’t understand…”

Squaring her shoulders, Olivia had to stay strong and wiped her tears away, taking a deep shaky breath before turning to face a bewildered Jenna. “There’s something I’ve wanted to tell you since I figured out who you were, but I’ve been terrified of what you’d think. I don’t know how to say this, so…” Olivia trailed off and pulled out the letter from her cleavage, slowly beginning to unfold it as fresh tears splattered on it, exhaling slowly. “I’m not going to read all of this, but…this is the only way to…to make you understand…”

Jenna and Elena stayed silent, not sure what to think or say at his point and just listened to what Olivia read.

“Before your father and I planted our roots in Atlanta, we both lived in a small town up north called Mystic Falls, Virginia. We were actually both born and raised there, went to school and even got married before making our way down to Atlanta because of your father’s work. He wanted to extend the business his father left him and we both promised to leave Mystic Falls once we left.

After we were married, we stayed in Mystic Falls for a few years and tried starting a family, but I had a lot of difficulty conceiving. We tried everything, my darling, but nothing worked and we were starting to wonder if we’d ever be able to have a child. That’s when we started looking into adoption and found you.

How we found you was out of sheer luck because I was good friends with a woman named Lucille Sommers. She was in a rocky marriage to a man named Blake and ended up having an affair with another man. Lucille was devastated and instantly came to me because she knew about my problems conceiving a child and we ended up striking a deal.

She told us that she would adopt the baby to us as long as we left Mystic Falls and never looked back. Blake was doing business overseas in Europe at the time for his company and wasn’t home for an entire year. We helped her as much as we could throughout the pregnancy and, luckily, her daughters were too young to remember what was happening. We were at every doctor appointment, every ultrasound and I was even in the room the night you were born. Daddy and I fell in love with you instantly, Oli, and a few days later we moved down to Atlanta.

Your biological sisters are named Miranda Sommers-Gilbert and Jenna Sommers. Jenna was only one and Miranda was two when Lucille ended up pregnant with you. Unfortunately, my darling, your biological mother, Lucille, is no longer with us and died of cancer ten years ago. I wanted to tell you about all of this then, but I was so afraid of losing you that fear stopped me. I was selfish and I’m so sorry because I know how heartbroken you must be right now with all of this newfound information.”

Everyone in the room remained silent as Olivia stopped reading, slowly folding the letter back up neatly. It was so quiet in the room; a pin could be heard if it dropped on the floor. Elena just gaped in shock while Jenna stared back at Olivia with so many emotions flowing through her all at once. Olivia finally chanced a glance up at Jenna and swallowed hard by what she saw in those eyes because it wasn’t good. In fact, the amount of animosity and hatred nearly drove Olivia to her knees, but she remained standing, waiting for her biological sister to say something.

“Ric,” Jenna pulled her gaze away from Olivia and looked at her fiancé, pursing her lips tightly together. “I want to go home. Please get me out of here.” Her voice was a mere whispered plea, not caring if she was running out on Elena’s dinner.

“Jenna…” Alaric frowned; wondering if that was the best decision considering what happened to her house only a week ago. “I don’t think going back there is safe right now…”

“Then take me to your place. Take me anywhere, but I have to get out of here. I can’t be here right now.” Jenna turned and rushed out of the room before anyone could see the tears cascade down her face.

Alaric sighed heavily and looked directly at Elena, picking up his suit jacket from the back of the chair. “Elena…”

“Go after her.” Elena whispered, wrapping her arms around herself and nodded, completely understanding why Jenna left.

Jeremy was the first to finally speak up. “Wait a damn minute, if you’re Jenna’s sister, then…” He visibly paled and had to sit down because his legs suddenly felt as though they were jelly. “That means…”

“She’s our Aunt.” Elena finished for him, looking at Olivia and couldn’t believe this sudden turn of events. “Well she’s YOUR Aunt. I’m her…half-niece and she’s my…my…”

“I’m your half-Aunt, Elena. I’m Miranda and Jenna’s half-sister because we have or had different fathers.” Olivia reached up and took the clip from her hair, placing it on the dining room table. “I never knew any of you existed because the Jackson’s kept this from me all of my life. I never meant to hurt anyone or to destroy lives. I just wanted to find my biological family because, all of my life, I’ve felt like part of me was incomplete and that was because I never knew my biological family. I never got to meet my biological mother or sister…” Everything was crashing down around Olivia and Damon caught her when her knees buckled, keeping his arms wrapped around her waist. “Jenna hates me…”

Elena reached out and took Olivia’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “No she doesn’t. This is just a lot for her to take in, especially with everyone we’ve lost in our family over the past few years. I’m sure she’ll come around if you give her time to adjust.” She wasn’t angry with Olivia because, honestly, it wasn’t her fault this happened. All she was trying to do was find out where she originally came from and Elena couldn’t fault her for that. “If it makes you feel any better or at least a little relieved, I’m not mad at you and I don’t hate you.”

“Well I do!!” Jeremy snapped, standing and slammed the chair against the table with authority, glaring at both of them with pure disdain. “Elena, how the hell do you know she’s even telling the truth? Maybe SHE’S the one who lit Jenna’s house on fire!!”

“No she didn’t.” Damon stated, glaring back at the boy and was tempted to rip his vocal cords out for the way he spoke to Olivia. “I can vouch for that.”

“How the hell do you know?” Jeremy demanded, folding his arms in front of his chest.

“Because she was with me when it happened.” Damon replied smoothly, lifting Olivia in his arms with ease and cradled her against his chest. “Mind your tongue, boy. She didn’t do anything wrong and show a little respect. She IS your Aunt after all.”

“No she’s not. I only have one Aunt and she just left. This woman is nothing to me and she never will be! She’s a liar!” Jeremy flew out of the room and, a few seconds later, the sound of the front door slamming shut echoed back to the dining room.

Elena groaned, extracting herself from Stefan’s arms. “I have to go after him. He’s really upset. I’m sorry everyone.” She ran after her brother/cousin, hoping she could catch him in time before he left. The last thing she wanted was for Jeremy to drive angry.

“Get me out of here, Damon.” Olivia requested in a heartbroken whisper, sobbing violently as she clung to him for dear life.

“Dinner is over. Everyone go home.” Damon ordered and flew out of the room moments later with Olivia, pissed beyond belief that both Jenna and Jeremy had basically shunned the woman he loved.

Maybe telling them the truth wasn’t the best idea after all.

Chapter 27

“Jer, wait!”

“Elena, go away. I don’t want to talk to you right now.” Jeremy growled, not stopping his long strides to the car.

Teresa had rushed out the door after Elena and stopped her from pursuing her boyfriend, grabbing her arm gently. “Elena, he’s being stubborn. Let me talk to him.” She said, hoping she made it to Jeremy before he took off without her since he was her ride home.

Elena’s shoulders slumped and she nodded reluctantly, hating that Teresa was right. “Please tell him to call me later and that I love him.” She didn’t want Jeremy to leave on bad terms, but also couldn’t blame Olivia for a situation that was out of her control.

“I will, don’t worry. I’ll make sure to calm him down before he drives me home.” Teresa said, patting Elena’s shoulder reassuringly and jogged off to catch up with her boyfriend.

Elena felt completely helpless and lowered her head, finally letting a few tears spill down her cheeks. She’d been holding them back because of how upset Jenna, Jeremy and Olivia were. Now that she was alone outside, away from everyone, Elena could finally release her bottled up emotions and felt the harsh realization crash over her at what she just found out.

She had another Aunt, another family member that was a part of her deceased mother and Jenna. Their family didn’t have the best of luck over the past few years and it seemed as though everyone kept dropping like flies. Elena found out she’d been adopted as a baby, much like Olivia, and her biological mother had begged Damon to change her into a vampire. Isobel was also Alaric’s wife that he thought Damon killed, but it turned out human life wasn’t enough for her. Her marriage to Alaric wasn’t enough.

Then Elena found out the man, she called Uncle since she learned to talk, was actually her biological father. John Gilbert was Grayson’s brother and Miranda’s brother-in-law. Grayson was a doctor and owned a clinic on his property with his wife, so when John came to him with his pregnant teenage lover, Isobel, Grayson agreed to deliver the baby secretively. They adopted the baby straightaway and made a pact never to mention or talk about it because, as far as John and Isobel were concerned, they weren’t fit parents the way Grayson and Miranda were.

So Grayson was actually Elena’s Uncle instead of her father, which made Miranda her Aunt instead of her mother. Jeremy was technically her cousin instead of her little brother, therefore making him a lonely child. No matter the confusing family tree they had, Elena would always consider Jeremy a brother and her deceased parents just that – her parents. John Gilbert and Isobel didn’t mean anything to her and never would.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Elena shook her head and reached up to wipe away a few more tears, sniffling. “Teresa went after Jeremy. He didn’t want to talk to me.” Her voice sounded so broken and distant mixed with confusion. “This isn’t Olivia’s fault. This is nobody’s fault really, things happen and the past can’t be changed.”

“Of course it isn’t, but this is a lot for Jeremy to take in. He just found out that his grandmother had an affair and had another Aunt in this world he never knew about. You have to look at it from his perspective, not just your own or Olivia’s.” Stefan reasoned, wrapping an arm around Elena and ran his fingers through her hair when she buried her face in his chest. “Just give him time, sweetheart. He’ll come around.”

Elena could only hope.

Meanwhile, Teresa caught up with Jeremy just as he opened the driver’s door to his car and stopped him by grabbing his arm. “Jeremy…”

“Not now, Resa.” He grunted, gritting his teeth because of how much anger currently flowed through him. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Teresa frowned, wishing there was something she could do to make Jeremy feel better about what just happened. “Jeremy…” She tried again, this time turning him until his eyes locked with warm hazel, pressing her finger to his lips. “Kiss me.”

This request threw Jeremy way off guard, but he couldn’t deny his beautiful girlfriend of three months anything and pulled her into his arms somewhat roughly. Teresa didn’t mind it because she knew he was extremely upset and wanted to do whatever she could to calm him down. Even his rough kiss didn’t bother her; if anything, it lit her ablaze. She grabbed the front of his dress shirt in two fistfuls and pressed further against him just as their tongues touched, tasting each other.

Instantaneously, Jeremy calmed down and shoved every other thought in the far recesses of his mind, directing all of his focus on Teresa. She was beautiful from head to toe with deep hazel eyes that were a mix of green and blue and long silky soft ebony hair. From the moment she walked into Mystic Grill with her brother, Jeremy was cast under her spell and, shortly after he introduced himself, they started dating.

“As much as I want to continue this,” Teresa murmured against his lips, being the first to break the kiss for oxygen. “I don’t want Aaron spotting us out here.” She hated how overprotective her big brother was.

“I’m sure he’s preoccupied with Caroline.” Jeremy grunted, hiking her dress up until it bunched around her hips and lifted Teresa, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist.

“Jeremy…” Teresa moaned, feeling her back slam against his car door and knew exactly what he wanted. “Out here?”

The sound of his zipper sliding down echoed around them and effectively gave Teresa her answer. She was only too obliged to give Jeremy what he wanted, not flinching when he tore her panties off seconds later. Just in case big brother and Caroline made an appearance, Teresa covered her mouth with her hand and used her free one to do the same to Jeremy. Jeremy didn’t care who heard them at this point, desperately needing to release his frustration and was thankful Teresa enjoyed rough sex.

An hour later, Jeremy and Teresa finally left with Jeremy feeling a lot calmer. He didn’t feel better because, the cold reality was; Olivia Jackson was his supposed Aunt. He could only imagine how his Aunt Jenna currently felt and hated this woman for coming into town to ruin their lives. What perplexed him more was the fact Elena had taken the news with a grain of salt and wasn’t the least bit angry.

When they pulled up to Teresa and Aaron’s house, Jeremy cut the ignition and turned to face her, reaching over to take her hand. “I didn’t hurt you back there, did I?” He asked quietly, running the pad of his thumb across her hand lovingly.

Teresa squeezed his hand and shook her head, leaning over to brush her lips against his. “No, I would’ve told you if you did.” She assured him, not wanting him to feel bad for doing something she thoroughly savored. “I love your animalistic side, Jeremy, especially when you become dominant and take what you know is yours.”

“I just wanted to make sure…” Jeremy rumbled, already feeling the strain against his dress pants and was tempted to take her back to his apartment for the night.

“I can’t tonight, but maybe tomorrow after I get off work.” Teresa smirked, reading his mind and gave him a long lingering passionate kiss. “That way you can recover from tonight and replenish your energy.”

“I like the sound of that.” Jeremy cracked a small grin and glanced in his rearview mirror, already knowing whose car it was. “Your warden has arrived.”

Teresa sighed and rolled her eyes, going back to giving Jeremy a few more kisses to remember her by until the following evening. “I better go inside because he won’t get out of his truck until you’re gone.” She mumbled, tempted to go with him and call off work tomorrow just to spite Aaron. She couldn’t though because she needed the money for bills and living expenses badly.

Jeremy chuckled and kissed her again, this time pulling her to straddle his lap, not ready to end the night yet. “I don’t mind him watching if you don’t.” He ran his hands up her sides and back, having plenty of energy left to spend on Teresa.

The horn blared behind them as Teresa broke another kiss with Jeremy, glaring in the rearview mirror at her brother. “God I hate him sometimes.” She growled, not appreciating being watched like a hawk while making out with her boyfriend. “I really thought hooking him up with Caroline would’ve made him back off a little.”

“Me too, but apparently we were wrong.” Jeremy grunted, tempted to sock her brother in the nose and would if the dick came near his vehicle. “You better get inside before he sends a search party in here after you.”

“Yeah…” Teresa sighed, kissing Jeremy one last time and opened the driver’s side, slipping off of his lap. “See you tomorrow.”

“I’ll pick you up as soon as you’re off work. Text me.” Jeremy said, his voice full of promises that he would fulfill when they were completely alone tomorrow night.

Teresa smirked, hazel eyes glowing under the dim street light. “I look forward to it. Good night, Jeremy.” She blew him a kiss and walked away from the car up the sidewalk toward the front door of her prison.

As soon as Jeremy’s vehicle was out of sight, Aaron stepped out of his truck and stormed over to his sister, grabbing her arm roughly. “What the hell was that?” He growled, yanking her against his with blazing dark eyes, his teeth clenched tightly.

“Playing the part, what does it look like?” Teresa hissed, pulling her arm out of ironclad grasp, only for Aaron to yank her right back, this time rougher.

“It looked like more than that, Teresa, especially with you two sexing it up just outside of the Salvatore’s mansion.” Aaron pointed out, trying to keep the anger out of his voice and failed miserably. “By the way, your activities aren’t done for tonight because now you have to make up what you did with him to me.”

“If I didn’t sleep with him, he would’ve known something was up, Aaron. You’re the one who signed us up to do this, not me, so you have to deal with the consequences.” Teresa growled, shoving him away and gasped when Aaron slammed her back against the front door, her head bouncing off of it. “Get off of me before I hurt you, dickhead.”

“You could try.” Aaron taunted in a low voice, burying his fingers in her black tresses and slammed his lips against hers in a brutal kiss, giving her a real kiss.

Teresa couldn’t stop melting against him and felt his hands slide down her back to her pert backside, lifting her much like Jeremy had earlier that night. Aaron was far more muscular though and longer shaggy black hair, the only trait they had to make people believe they were really siblings. In truth, Teresa and Aaron Green were married con-artists and took jobs that required playing parts in order to ruin innocent lives. The jobs sometimes required them to do despicable things, but it was the life they chose and both would do anything to make a fast buck.

“We need to get inside before someone sees us.” Teresa whispered breathlessly while Aaron practically devoured her neck with his mouth, hoping he didn’t know she currently had no panties on, thanks to Jeremy.

Aaron snorted and slid his fingers beneath her dress until they came in contact with her already soaking sex, dark eyes flashing hungrily. “Mmm so my eyes weren’t deceiving me…” He grunted, lifting her over his shoulder and carted her inside the house, kicking the door shut behind him.

“Aaron!” Teresa squealed out as he began ascending the stairs, only for a deep dark voice to stop both of them in their tracks.

Their current boss.

“What did you find out? Is it her?”

The cigarette smoke filtered from the tip, sun colored eyes being the only thing that could be seen through the darkness of the room. Teresa swallowed hard and felt Aaron place her on her feet instantly, standing in front of him with his hands on her shoulders. They were terrified of this man because, not only could he snap them in half with his pinky finger if he wanted, but he wasn’t human.

“Well?”

“Yes.” Teresa spoke in a hoarse voice, elbowing Aaron when he stood there silently. “It’s her.”

A cold smirk curved the creature’s lips as he stood from the chair, flicking ash right on the hard wood floor and walked toward both of them. “Excellent, just as I suspected. I must commend you both for a job well done with Jenna Sommers’ house. The fire not only terrified Olivia, but now everyone is on guard.” He praised, clapping both hands together exactly three times and then hauled off, backhanding Teresa across the face.

“You mother-!”

Before Aaron could finish his statement, those sun colored eyes suddenly locked with his and suddenly he was under the creature’s compulsion. “Don’t move and don’t speak. She deserved that, especially after what she did to you. Cheating on you with a Gilbert, of all people. You feel disgusted by her and want her to suffer for her infidelity.” Even though he had compelled her into sleeping with Jeremy in the first place, but Aaron didn’t need to know that information. “Stand there and watch, don’t move an inch and don’t make a sound. Do you understand me?”

Aaron nodded, doing exactly as he was told while Teresa was ripped up by her black hair, a painful cry escaping her. “I did what you said!” She whimpered, starting to fight the creature off, but it was no use.

“Stay still.” The creature ordered, compelling her once again and ran a finger down her bruised cheek. “You don’t love your husband and you want me. You want to bend over and let me have my way with you. You want me, not Aaron, isn’t that right?” He smirked when she nodded, longing entering her hazel eyes and he noticed her fingers twitch. “Do you want to touch me, Teresa?”

“Yes.”

“Good answer.” He fingered her chin and flicked his tongue out against her lips. “Get upstairs to my room and put something…appealing on for me. I’ll be up in a minute to give you what you want for being such a good little bitch.” The excitement in her eyes made him laugh as she scampered up the stairs to do as ordered. “As for you…” The creature turned his sun colored eyes back to Aaron and pointed at the front door. “Leave and go satisfy Caroline. I don’t want you back here until tomorrow afternoon after three.”

“As you say.”

Rubbing his hands together, the creature headed upstairs without preamble to join Teresa in his room, knowing they would not be interrupted for the remainder of the night.

Chapter 28

“Jenna, you have to talk to her.”

“No I don’t.” Jenna replied, setting the table in Alaric’s one bedroom loft.

Elena groaned in frustration, not believing how stubborn Jenna could be, especially when it came to their family. “Jenna, this isn’t Olivia’s fault. I know you think it is, but it’s not. Can you stop for two seconds and actually put yourself in Olivia’s shoes? She’s going through this all alone and feels rejected. I can’t imagine what courage it must’ve taken for her to come to Mystic Falls to track you down. You’re not the only one hurting and neither is Jeremy. You two are acting like this is her fault, but it’s actually your mother’s…”

Jenna slammed her fist down on the table, squeezing her eyes tightly shut. “Get out, Elena.” She ordered, pointing to the door. “I’m done with this conversation and don’t you ever speak of my mother like that. She didn’t do anything wrong either. That girl is lying, plain and simple. My parents loved each other…”

“You really are full of denial aren’t you?” Elena’s voice remained quiet and low, shaking her head in disappointment. “Stefan knew Lucy and so did Damon, Jenna. They saw her have an affair with a man named Mark Kindle and knew about it because she flaunted it throughout town.” It was amazing how much information the Salvatore’s had on Lucille and also proved that Olivia was indeed telling the truth.

“I said I don’t want to talk about it!” Jenna snapped, slamming a plate down on the table so hard, it cracked down the middle. “Damn it!” She cursed, turning away from Elena and headed back into the kitchen area to grab another plate. “I don’t care what my mother did. The past is the past and I refuse to discuss this any longer!”

Elena pursed her lips tightly together, completely fed up with her Aunt by this point. “Whatever Jenna, that’s fine. You and Jeremy can keep your hatred all to yourselves because I won’t have any part of it. I’ve gotten to know Olivia over the past two and a half weeks since she’s been here and I can honestly say she’s a great person. She’s a great Aunt, even if she doesn’t believe it and I won’t push her out of my life like you and Jeremy have. I’m not that heartless and I never thought both of you were either.” Blinking back tears, Elena rushed out the door just as Alaric came through it, not stopping to greet him because she was incredibly upset.

“What the hell?” Alaric scratched his head, wondering what happened with Elena and went to go after her, when a hand on his arm stopped him. “Jenna, is she okay?”

Jenna shrugged, pulling Alaric back into the loft apartment. “I don’t know. She came here to discuss Olivia Jackson and I told her I didn’t want to talk about it. She refused to listen to my wishes, so I told her to leave.” She made it sound so nonchalant and that didn’t set well with Alaric.

“Jenna, I know you’re going through a rough time right now, but pushing Elena away isn’t…”

“Are you hungry?” Jenna asked, cutting him off and changing the subject effectively, pulling his jacket from his shoulders. “I made chicken parmesan. I hope you’re hungry.”

Something was going on with Jenna and Alaric decided he would pay the Salvatore’s a visit later on. “Sure.” He flashed a smile to try easing her mind and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips, sitting down while she served them. “I’ve been thinking about what’s been going on for the past week and I think I have an easy solution for you, Jenna.”

“Which is?” Jenna raised a brow, filling her own plate with food and sat down to start on her salad.

“A blood test.” Alaric watched as Jenna dropped her fork on the table, their eyes locking. “Just hear me out for a second. You say that she’s lying about your mother, so prove it. Prove she’s lying and get a blood test done.”

“A DNA test, you mean?” Jenna snorted, shaking her head and cut into her chicken somewhat fiercely. “There’s no reason to do it because I know she’s lying. Jeremy doesn’t believe her either.”

“How do you know she’s lying, Jenna?” Alaric demanded, leaning back against the chair with his arms folded in front of his chest. “I’m being serious now. How do you know she’s lying about this? She doesn’t seem like the person who would lie and you know Elena wouldn’t defend her unless she believed Olivia really was her family. It would ease Elena’s mind as well as yours. You haven’t slept the past week and you can’t keep running away from this.”

Jenna couldn’t believe the words coming out of Alaric’s mouth and felt tears sting her eyes. “I don’t care to know, Ric.” She said morosely, pouring a much needed glass of wine. “Neither does Jeremy.”

“You’re scared to find out the truth and I understand that, but running isn’t going to solve your problem. If anything, it’ll always eat away at you because, in the back of your mind, you’re always going to have that ‘what if’ factor.” Alaric knew that better than anyone, thanks to his deceased ex-wife. “How do you think I felt when I witnessed Isobel being sucked dry before my eyes? She forced me to become a vampire hunter because I thought a vampire took her away from me. Only, she actually became one and told me to my face that our marriage wasn’t enough, that my love for her wasn’t enough. I never stopped looking for her because, dead or alive, I had to know what happened to her, Jenna.” Alaric cleared his throat and walked into the kitchen area to grab a bottle of bourbon, pouring a large glass of it and downed half. “So you can tell me you don’t care all you want, Jenna, but we both know you don’t mean it. You DO care and, if you want to keep Elena in your life, you have to do this.”

Hearing the raw pain in Alaric’s voice broke Jenna’s heart because she knew Isobel scarred him with her betrayal. “Ric, I’m not her.” She looked over at him and blinked, feeling huge tears slip down her cheeks. “And this isn’t the same thing…”

“Yes it is.” Alaric argued, slamming the rest of his bourbon back and refilled his glass instantly. “It is the same thing because you’re running away from it instead of facing it head-on. You’re blaming the poor woman for something that was completely out of her control. She doesn’t seem like the type to lie and I’m sure Elena told you that. Hell, DAMON could easily compel her to tell you if she’s hiding anything about this. Have you even thought about that? I’m sure Olivia would do it in a heartbeat just to prove to you that she’s not lying.”

Grudgingly, Jenna hadn’t considered that and scowled, taking a long drink of her wine. “So you’re telling me if we went over there right now and asked Olivia to let Damon compel her, she would do it?” When Alaric nodded, Jenna heaved a resigned sigh and walked over to stare out the window, closing her eyes.

What if her mother did have an affair? She didn’t remember much at that age, though she did have flashbacks of a man coming around. Jenna thought it’d been dreams, but apparently that wasn’t the case. The dreams were real and showed her what she’d missed, along with Miranda, when it came to Lucille. It sucked that Lucille was dead because Jenna had so many questions and nobody to answer them, which frustrated her more.

“The sooner you find out the truth, the sooner you can move on and deal with it, Jenna. No matter what the results are, you have to keep in mind that this isn’t Olivia’s fault.” Alaric stood right behind her, his hands resting on her shoulders as they both stared out the window now, dinner long forgotten.

“We don’t know if Olivia is lying about this yet or not.” Jenna reminded him, slowly turning until their eyes met again and reached up to caress his handsome face with her hand. “If Olivia agrees to be compelled first, then I’ll do a DNA test. I’m not going through with being prodded for nothing if she’s lying to everyone.” Compulsion was the only answer and only way that Jenna would agree to a DNA test.

Slamming back his second glass of bourbon, Alaric set it down on the window ledge and took Jenna’s hand, refusing to waste another second. “Come on, no time like the present to get this done.”

Jenna nodded, letting Alaric guide her out the door and down to his car, hoping she was doing the right thing. The ride to the Salvatore mansion was made in silence, Jenna deep in her own thoughts about all the possible outcomes this could have. Olivia could refuse to be compelled and honestly Jenna wouldn’t blame her, but then again, it would show if she was hiding anything.

They arrived in record time as Alaric parked in front of the mansion, looking over at Jenna and could tell how nervous she was. “Come on.” He stepped out and walked around to open Jenna’s door, once again holding her hand as their fingers laced together. “I’m here with you, I’m not going anywhere.”

“I know.” Jenna cracked a hesitant smile up at him and reluctantly walked to the front door of the Salvatore mansion, letting Alaric do the knocking.

Damon, Stefan and Tyler looked up simultaneously when a knock came at the front door. They were having a game night and currently took turns playing spades. Elena wanted to make Olivia feel welcome, so she tracked Simone and Tyler down, begging them to hang out. She knew Tyler hated vampires, but the Salvatore’s were different and he had to realize that. Simone did it because of Olivia; their friendship was still somewhat rocky, even though they had a place together now.

So far, everyone was getting along and making idle chatter.

“I’ll get it.” Damon said, standing up and walked out of the living room/parlor to see who it was, aquamarine eyes narrowing slightly. “Hey Ric.” He greeted upon seeing his best friend, ignoring Jenna for the moment. “What’s up?”

“Can we come in for a second and talk to you, Damon?” Alaric asked, squeezing Jenna’s hand when he felt her tense, hoping she didn’t back out of this. “It’s important.”

Damon looked over his shoulder and caught his brother’s eye, nudging his head slightly before turning back to face Alaric. “Sure, let’s talk in the study.” He stepped aside and let them in, closing the door.

“What’s going on?” Stefan asked, thankful Elena had Olivia occupied talking about her current job. “Hey Ric. Jenna.” Even though Jenna shunned Olivia, she was still Elena’s family and, therefore, his.

“Ric needs to talk to me about something.” Damon said impatiently, running a hand through his thick black hair. “Can you keep Olivia occupied? I don’t want her knowing they’re here.” He directed that at Jenna, not hiding how he felt because, in his mind, she was a mean bitch for treating Olivia the way she had.

“Actually, Damon, we need to talk to her as well.” Jenna finally spoke up, swallowing hard when intense aquamarine eyes locked on her. She suddenly felt two feet tall and began snaking behind Alaric, truly afraid she wouldn’t walk out of this mansion alive.

“Is THAT right?” Damon raised a thick black eyebrow and looked at Alaric, watching him nod in confirmation. “Liva’s been through a lot because of you, Jenna. If you so much as say one wrong word, I won’t hesitate to snap your neck. Do we understand each other?”

Jenna swallowed past the lump that formed in her throat and didn’t respond, feeling Alaric tense. “Damon, you won’t be snapping anyone’s neck.” Alaric stated, stepping forward and squared his shoulders, eyes narrowing. “This isn’t Jenna’s fault either and she’s coping the best she can. You won’t hurt her, are WE clear?”

“Enough you guys.” Stefan stepped in between them. “Nobody is hurting anyone. Go get Olivia, brother, and meet us in the library. Simone is probably going to want to be there too, are you guys alright with that?”

Alaric looked down at Jenna, pulling her back against his side and kissed the top of her head. “Is that okay, Jenna?” He asked softly, running a finger down her cheek and neck, trying to calm her down from Damon’s idle threat.

“S-Sure…” Jenna whispered, clinging to Alaric’s side for dear life.

Damon meant what he said and could easily kill Alaric along with Jenna, refusing to let her cause Olivia one more ounce of pain. “We’ll be waiting in the study.” He grunted, storming past his brother and headed into the living room/parlor to grab Olivia.

“Damon, what’s going on?” Olivia asked, standing up from the couch as he approached her, amber eyes full of apprehension.

“Jenna’s here.” Damon watched as Simone instantly stood at Olivia’s side while Elena took the other, taking her hands in his. “She wants to talk to both of us along with Ric.”

“Ric is here too?” That didn’t surprise Elena, especially after she stormed out earlier after her and Jenna’s blowup. “Can I come too?”

“It’s up to Liva, whatever she wants to do.” Damon put the ball in her court, his eyes never leaving hers. “You don’t have to talk to them if you don’t want to, Liva. This is completely up to you. I’ll throw both of them out if that’s what you want.”

Olivia chewed her bottom lip and didn’t know if she wanted to talk to Jenna, wondering what her newfound sister wanted. “Might as well talk to her.” She finally rationalized, watching the small smile cross her half-niece’s face. “She has to be here for a good reason and I want to know what it is.”

“Livi, do you want me in there with you?” Simone wasn’t asking for Damon’s permission, wrapping an arm around her friend’s shoulders. “I’m here for you, honey.”

“I know.” Olivia appreciated that and was thankful Simone had finally come around with her support again, hoping it lasted. “Yeah, I want you in there along with Elena. Tyler can even be there if you want.”

“Really?” Tyler didn’t expect that, rubbing the back of his neck somewhat awkwardly, not sure if it was his place to be in an intimate setting and conversation. “I think I’ll just head out and let you have some privacy…”

Simone smiled apologetically at Tyler, walking over to him and leaned up to brush her lips against his. “Thank you for being understanding. Do you want me to come over after we’re done?” She asked, keeping her voice down to where only the supernatural beings could hear.

“If you want, sure.” Tyler smirked; kissing her again a little deeper and both of them began walking toward the front door.

“What do you think she wants, Damon?” Olivia asked while Simone walked her boyfriend to the door, looking up at him worriedly.

Damon honestly had no idea, but decided a little white lie wouldn’t hurt. “Probably to apologize for being such a total dick to you about this whole family thing.” He said bluntly, shrugging when Olivia blinked at him. “You wanted to know, don’t look at me like that. Now do you want to do this or not? You can always back out, Liva. Jenna has no control over you.”

“No, I want to do this. If I don’t, this might be the only opportunity I have to talk to Jenna and I’m not wasting it or running away.” Olivia stated, trying to keep her courage burning because, honestly, she was petrified about what her sister could want. “Lead the way.”

Damon nodded, wrapping an arm around her waist and guided Olivia down the hallway toward the study, Simone and Elena following suit.

Chapter 29

Olivia sat there in shock, listening to everything Alaric said, while Jenna remained quiet and wondered if this was a dream. Or more like a nightmare. She didn’t know what to think and feel, trying to register exactly what Jenna wanted her to do. Was she hearing things or did she hear Alaric correctly? Olivia felt someone squeeze her shoulder and didn’t have to turn around to see who it was.

“Livi…” To say Simone was appalled would’ve been an understatement, her angry jade eyes flashing directly at Jenna. “If you want to leave…”

“I don’t.” Olivia said quietly and looked up at Damon, wondering what he was thinking.

“So let me get this straight,” Damon paused briefly, keeping Olivia’s hand in his so he didn’t lash out because he felt deadly at that moment. “You want me to compel Olivia to prove she’s not lying about being your family. That about the jist of it?”

Jenna swallowed hard and lowered her eyes to her lap, not able to meet those deadly aquamarine eyes of Damon Salvatore. “Yes.” She whispered, feeling Alaric squeeze her hand to reassure her nothing would happen.

“You have a lot of nerve coming into my house and demanding something like that from a woman who hasn’t done anything to you.” Damon practically snarled, gritting his teeth to the point of gnashing and could feel the blood rush to his gums, the sclera’s in his eyes changing to cherry red. “Ric, you have three seconds to get her out of here or she’s not leaving.”

Jenna felt a shiver of dread rush down her spine and suddenly realized what a vital mistake it was coming here. “R-Ric…” She could barely speak because of how terrified she was, trying like hell not to meet anyone’s gaze. “L-Let’s leave…p-please…”

Alaric glared at Damon and stood up with Jenna behind him, a machine strapped to his arm that would send a wooden stake into his hand with one movement. “Come on Jenna, I was wrong to come here.” He would be kissing her feet for several weeks to come because of this outcome.

“No.” Olivia stood up at once and stopped them from leaving, blocking their path. “Please don’t leave.”

“Olivia, he’s g-going to kill me…” Jenna tried to keep the stammer out of her voice and failed miserably, shaking like a leaf. “Please let m-me go…”

“I’ll do it.” Olivia’s voice filled with desperation and she actually reached out to grab Jenna’s arm, shoving Alaric to the side somewhat. “If compulsion is the only way to make you see the truth and prove I’m not lying, I’ll do it, Jenna. Watch.” A few seconds later, Olivia had taken off her vervain cross necklace she wore since the age of sixteen and set it down on the nearby end table, her eyes never leaving Jenna’s. “There, I’m not protected anymore and I promise I won’t let anyone harm you. I don’t blame you for not believing me. Hell, I would be the same way because I’m not very trusting either. I guess that’s one thing we have in common.”

Jenna couldn’t believe the amount of sacrifice Olivia put forth to prove herself and wondered if compulsion was necessary. “Y-You didn’t hesitate. You would actually do something like this, letting a vampire toy with your mind and emotions just to prove yourself to a stranger?” She was floored, perplexed and watched as Olivia nodded without hesitation.

“If it means gaining your trust and proving to you that I am your half-sister, then yes I’ll do it. I…” Olivia shut her eyes briefly and walked past everyone in the room, staring into the roaring fireplace thoughtfully. “I trust Damon, vampire or not. It doesn’t bother me that he needs human blood to survive. He could be an ogre for all I care and I would still feel the exact same way I feel for him right now because I know who he really is. I know the real him, the him nobody else does…the him that he hides from the rest of the world.”

For the first time, Simone finally understood why Olivia defended Damon so much and slowly walked over to her friend, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Livi, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize…” Olivia’s finger pressing against her lips stopped Simone from saying anything further.

“I know and it’s okay. The important thing is you’ve finally realized it.” Olivia said softly, having an understanding just between the two of them and didn’t care that everyone else in the room was completely clueless.

As much as she hated ruining this moment, there was still a matter of needing proof that Olivia was indeed her sister and Jenna couldn’t ignore that. “I’m still going to want to do a DNA test, Olivia.” She announced, feeling a little braver now that Olivia had ensured her safety. “Please understand…”

Olivia smiled in response and nodded, not an ounce of resentment directed at Jenna. “I do, believe me and I have no problem with that. Set it up with a time and place and I’ll be there. For now, at least you’ll find out that I’m not hiding anything from you and I’m not lying either.” Her amber eyes moved to Damon and could still see the burning anger in his own, walking past Jenna toward him. “Damon…”

“I don’t want to compel you, Liva.” Damon was against this wholeheartedly and reached out, cupping her cheek tenderly with his hand.

“You must or else she won’t believe me and go along with the DNA test. You know that. That’s why she’s here. Please Damon, you’re the only one I trust to do this. I’m fine with it, as long as it’s you that compels me.” Olivia pleaded, tears stinging her eyes and tried to keep them at bay, not wanting to upset him further.

However, one tear slipping down her cheek nearly crippled him as Damon reached out to brush it away with his fingers. It fascinated him how one little teardrop nearly drove him to his knees at her feet. He never wanted to hurt Olivia and regretted what he did to her when they first met, all because he didn’t trust her. Now here she was, asking him to do the one thing he’d wanted to do to her at the beginning, but no longer had the urge.

“Don’t cry.” Damon ordered, pulling her tight against him as his arms encircled her frame, running his fingers through her soft auburn tresses. “I’ll do anything for you, Liva, just don’t cry.”

“I can’t help it.” She whispered, hating that she’d guilt-tripped him into the compulsion, but this was her only opportunity to prove her innocence to Jenna. “Please do it and don’t be angry at my sister. She’s just being careful and I don’t blame her.”

What was it about those citrine eyes that bewitched Damon to do whatever this girl wanted? “Stop looking at me like that.” He practically growled, aquamarine eyes starting to cloud over with barely contained desire and smirked when she flushed a deep crimson red. “Such a lovely color on you.”

“Can we just get on with this already?” Alaric demanded, clearing his throat awkwardly because he’d seen that look in Damon’s eyes on more than a few occasions.

All humor drained from Damon’s eyes when they locked on Olivia’s bare neck, so used to seeing her silver cross and the faint smell of vervain invading his nostrils. “Fine.” He looked back at Olivia and gestured to the couch, watching as she immediately sat down. “Are you sure about this?”

“Yes.” Olivia kept her eyes focused on Damon and wondered what being compelled would feel like, bracing herself for the absolute worse.

“It won’t hurt.” Damon assured softly, reading her mind and took her hands as she exhaled shakily, running his thumbs across them tenderly. “Just relax your mind as much as you can and focus on me.”

Jenna frowned, wondering if compulsion actually worked and felt Alaric wrap his arm around her shoulders. She trusted Alaric and knew he would never steer her wrong, especially when it came to her family. Alaric could tell Jenna was hesitant about this, but if she loved him as much as she claimed, she would have to put her faith and trust in him not to lie to her. Compulsion worked, Alaric had seen it with Damon firsthand and he didn’t like it. However, if it eased Jenna’s mind about Olivia, he was willing to do anything to help the love of his life find the truth.

“Olivia, stay calm and breathe slowly.” Damon ordered, feeling the pull of the compulsion and felt her do exactly what he said. “Good girl. Now then, I’m going to ask you a few questions and I want you to answer truthfully. Do you understand?”

Olivia nodded in a trance, her eyes never once leaving Damon’s. “Yes. Answer truthfully.” Her voice sounded zombified, which made everyone in the room tense, especially Simone.

“What’s happening to her?” Simone had never seen a human compelled by a vampire and felt Elena take her hand, thankful she’d sent Tyler home.

“She’s under Damon’s trance.” That was the best way Elena could describe what was happening. “Compulsion can control every part of the human mind and heart.”

“Seriously?”

Elena nodded, her lips in one fine grim line and watched as her newly found half-Aunt worriedly.

“Will this harm her?” Simone had to stop herself from lunging at Damon, her wolf instincts kicking into overdrive.

“No. She won’t remember answering the questions unless Damon says otherwise.”

If the vampire so much as tried compelling Olivia to forget this, she would attack him without hesitation, even if it wasn’t a full moon.

“Olivia, what is your full name?” Damon asked, deciding to start small and work his way up to the big questions.

“Olivia Margaret Jackson.”

“Where were you born?”

“I thought it was Atlanta, Georgia, but I recently found out it was actually in Mystic Falls, Virginia.”

Now the tough questions were going to come. “Who are your parents?”

“Margaret and Martin Jackson.”

“Are they your birth parents?” Damon asked, keeping his voice low and steady.

“No.”

“Who are your birth parents?”

“Lucille Sommers. I don’t know who my birth father is.” Olivia answered without any hesitation, the compulsion in full effect.

“How did you find out about Lucille being your mother?”

“My adopted mother, Margaret, wrote me a letter on her deathbed.” Olivia’s voice remained cryptically calm and even, no emotion whatsoever coming forth.

“Are you telling the truth about everything you just said?”

“Yes.”

Damon didn’t break the compulsion and slowly looked over at Jenna, who currently had a flood of tears pouring down her cheeks, and pursed his lips tightly. “Is that satisfactory for you or do you want me to ask her something else?” He demanded in a growl, folding his arms in front of his chest.

Jenna was stunned and couldn’t believe Olivia told the truth. Every part of her brain was trying to rationalize and defend her mother’s honor, but she couldn’t deny what she just heard. Olivia wasn’t lying about the letter or anything she said regarding their family, which confused Jenna even more. Was this really her long lost sister? Jenna knew it was time to come clean about something she’d known for a long time, over twenty years in fact, and shook her head at Damon.

Looking back at Olivia, Damon reached out and cupped her face with his hand, thankful this was over. At once, Olivia finally blinked several times and came out of the compulsion instantly, looking around somewhat confused. Her heart broke at the sight of Jenna crying on Alaric’s chest, along with Elena doing the same thing to Stefan and Simone didn’t look happy at all.

“Did it work?” Olivia asked, staring back at Damon and watched him nod, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. “Why don’t I remember anything?”

“Because I didn’t tell you to. One thing about compulsion is I control everything you feel and remember, anything to do with your human mind.” Damon tapped her temple gently. “If you want me to make you remember what just happened, I can. You don’t need to though, you convinced Jenna you weren’t lying about being family.”

Olivia swallowed hard and shook her head slowly, not wanting to remember whatever she said. “Jenna.” She slowly stood up from the couch and headed toward the sobbing woman, every part of her aching. “I-I’m sorry…”

“Please don’t.” Jenna whimpered, clutching Alaric’s shirt tightly and cried harder. “A-At least you weren’t l-lying to us…” She suddenly looked up into Alaric’s eyes and felt his fingers brush her tears away, sniffling. “I-I want to go h-home.” What she wanted to tell Olivia could wait until after the DNA test results came out.

Alaric nodded, not having a problem with that request considering this had been an emotional night. “Okay.” He lifted her up with ease in his arms, feeling her head rest on his shoulder and cracked a small apologetic smile at Olivia. “When she’s calmed down and feeling better, I’m sure she’ll talk to you.”

“Of course, I understand.” Olivia said, feeling Damon’s hands rest on her shoulders and leaned back against him. “Take her home and let her get some rest. She looks bushed.”

“Will do. Thanks again for doing this, Olivia. It meant more to Jenna than you probably realize. See you guys later.” Alaric walked out, the door closing behind him and headed directly outside to his car.

Before Alaric could open his car door, he suddenly saw blackness and felt his body slump to the ground, the last image in his mind being Jenna.

Elena walked over to Olivia at once, wrapping her arms around her half-Aunt and hugged her tightly. “I knew you weren’t lying to us. Now we just have to convince Jeremy and-”

Suddenly, an ear piercing scream echoed throughout the house, all heads snapping up simultaneously. “What the hell was that?” Olivia demanded, her eyes widening the same time Elena’s did as the horrible realization dawned on them.

“JENNA!” They both shouted out, their voices melting together as one and rushed out of the library before the Salvatore brothers or Simone.

Damon, Stefan and Simone were hot on their trails as they headed straight for the front door, practically ripping it off the hinges. “Jenna!!” Olivia cried out into the wooded area that surrounded them, terror filling her heart and watched as Simone instantly began sniffing the air, suddenly remembering exactly what she was. “Sim, do you smell anything?”

“Jenna’s perfume…” Simone continued moving around and headed right for Alaric’s vehicle, gasping at the sight of a human body lying prone on the ground. “Damon, Stefan over here!”

Damon flashed forward and bent down, already knowing just by the frame alone who it was. “It’s Ric.” He announced, Stefan flashing forward next as both brothers looked at each other worriedly.

“Where’s Jenna?” Elena asked, watching as Stefan stood back up to face her, tears stinging her eyes along with Olivia.

“Gone.”

Chapter 30

It felt like a hundred pound weight had dropped on her head.

Jenna was afraid to open her eyes because of how severe her head currently pounded, feeling as though her brain might explode. She groaned softly at her sore limbs, though nothing felt broken thankfully. Though, when Jenna tried lifting her hands to rub her still closed eyes, she suddenly realized something metal stopped her from doing so. Snapping her eyes open, Jenna looked up through blurred vision and saw the metal cuff around both wrists linked to a thick chain attached to the metal headboard.

What the hell was going on here? Where was she and where was Alaric? Where was everyone? The last thing Jenna remembered was being carried out to Alaric’s car and…he dropped her. He dropped and…Jenna screamed, that was all she remembered. Her head hurt too badly to try remembering much else at the moment and Jenna felt the tears sting her eyes, pure terror washing over her.

There was no way Alaric would do something like this, so who was it that kidnapped her? Damon, maybe? No, he was Alaric’s best friend and, no matter if he threatened her, Jenna knew deep down he would never stoop this low. Then again, Damon was known as the outsider of their little knit group and often did things irrationally. Elena could contest to that on many occasions.

Elena…was she okay? Was she safe? Was Jeremy safe? Was Alaric alive?

Panic began setting in at the thought of what was left of their family being decimated. Jenna immediately shut her eyes and was thankful the room was completely dark because any amount of light would’ve made the pounding in her head intensify. She tried yanking on the cuffs, only for the chains to rattle against the metal headboard lightly, the sound ominous.

‘Ric, help me.’ She thought desperately, wishing she could somehow contact him and yanked on the cuffs again.

It was pointless. They were pure metal and thick, something only a strong pair of bolt cutters or key would break. Jenna could feel the hot tears streaming down her face and hated at how weak she was, knowing whoever had taken her would more than likely enjoy her torment. Whoever took her had this planned all along and that thought alone terrified her more than anything.

Her stomach rumbling loudly told Jenna she was not only starving, but had probably been out for at least twelve hours or more. This wasn’t good. Her arms and wrists were killing her from being cuffed, which made her neck strain as well along with her ribs. Jenna would give any part of her body up for a juicy steak or cheeseburger dripping with melting cheese. That made her stomach growl louder and Jenna groaned, banging her head lightly back against the metal headboard.

“Hello?” Jenna called out weakly, every drop of energy drained from her body.

No answer.

“Damn it…” Jenna cursed when all she heard was silence.

It was too quiet.

“You’re awake finally.” A dark voice said from one of the corners of the room, the figure completely blended in with the darkness.

Jenna jumped as soon as she heard the voice, her fatigued body instantly filling with fear and anxiety. “W-Who’s there?” This psycho had watched her awaken and hadn’t said a word, which was extremely nerve-wracking.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” The voice chuckled, pure evil dripping in the tone.

Just by the sound of the voice and how deep it was, Jenna knew she was with a male, her entire body tensing. ‘Oh god…Ric, please hurry…’ Jenna pleaded in thought and instinctively yanked on the cuffs, even though it didn’t help any because there was no escape right now. “Where am I?”

The dark voice merely chuckled as the sound reverberated around the room and Jenna felt as though it was slowly consuming and suffocating her. “Somewhere nobody will hear your screams of torment, my dear.” He informed her, heavy boots thudding against the old wooden floor.

With each footstep, Jenna’s breathing became labored and the panic set in, her eyes widening with alarm. “W-What do you want with me? Why did you bring me here? I demand answers!” Try as she might not to show fear, there was no way Jenna could hide it, her eyes showing this kidnapper everything she currently felt.

“Hmm you are definitely pushy for someone who is in a hopeless situation.” The man observed, stroking his chin in thought as he considered her demands, his cold eyes never leaving his prey. “However, I do suppose I owe you SOME kind of explanation, all things considered…”

Yes, yes he did or whoever this was. Maybe it was a woman who had a really low voice. Jenna couldn’t be sure, but judging by the sound of the footsteps and how deep the voice was, she was almost certain a man had taken her. That and the fact a woman’s voice could never send chills of this magnitude down her spine…at least, Jenna assumed.

“Very well.” The man spoke again after a long pause and Jenna jumped when the end of the bed dipped, a smirk curving his lips. “Jumpy thing aren’t you?” Jenna did not answer and remained frozen, barely making out the shape sitting just mere inches from her through the darkness. “I’ll answer ONE question for you.”

Jenna’s mind raced, knowing she had to word her question carefully or else she wouldn’t get the answers she desperately needed. “Who are you and why did you kidnap me?” It was two questions in one, but hopefully he wouldn’t mind answering both.

“Just one.” He admonished, shaking his finger at her and chuckled at how pale her complexion became. “So, which question do you want answered more? Who am I or the reason I kidnapped you?”

He was toying with her and Jenna didn’t appreciate it, her lips pursing tightly together. “Fine,” She paused, gritting her teeth and fought the urge to yank on the cuffs. “Who are you?”

“My name is Mark Beckham.” The man answered truthfully and stood up from the bed, turning to fully face Jenna. “It’s been a long time since I last saw you, Jenna.”

Jenna swallowed hard, immediately wracking her pounding head with that name, but absolutely nothing registered. “W-What do you mean? I don’t remember you…” What she wouldn’t give for some aspirin or maybe another blow to the head because this pain was almost unbearable.

“There’s a reason you don’t remember me and it’s really quite simple: At your tender age, there’s no way you could unless you had some kind of photographic or eidetic memory.” Mark countered, leaning against the wall with his arms folded in front of his chest. “But we both know you’re not that smart or else you wouldn’t be in this situation.”

Yanking on her cuffs again, Jenna’s eyebrows furrowed with so many questions burning in her hazel eyes. “How old was I?” She asked through gritted teeth, trying to fight back the onslaught of tears threatening to spill down her cheeks.

Mark smirked wickedly and didn’t answer at first, instead flipping the switch as the room suddenly lit up. Jenna groaned, immediately snapping her eyes tightly shut and leaned back against the iron headboard, trying to get her head to stop pounding. Rolling his eyes, Mark pulled out some aspirin and tossed them at her, watching impassively as she opened her eyes just enough to see what they were.

“Unless of course you’d rather sit there in agony, your choice.” He sounded indifferent, not caring if she was in pain or not because, as far as he was concerned, she was bait. “And to answer your question, since I’m feeling exceptionally generous, you were one year old.”

This strange man knew Jenna when she was just one year old? Did that mean he knew Miranda too? What about her mother? Jenna was confused and popped the pills because she desperately needed some kind of relief with her pounding head.

“Why am I here?” She asked quietly, wishing she had some kind of super power to shut the light out.

“That’s also quite simple.” Mark flashed his pearly white teeth, his now glowing amber eyes practically boring into her. He didn’t care she didn’t look back at him. “You’re my bait to get closer to someone you know.”

Those words made Jenna snap her eyes open and instantly those amber eyes flashed through her mind. Through all the pain and anguish she currently felt, Jenna managed to reach the end of what her mind was trying to convey to her. One face was a perfect view in her mind and Jenna shut her eyes again as tears streamed down her face freely, not able to hold back any longer.

“Olivia.” Jenna whispered, sniffling and wished she could reach up to wipe her tears away. “You’re after Olivia Jackson.”

“Bravo!” Mark clapped three times slowly, the sound filled with mockery. “Now then, can you guess WHY I might be after her?”

“Christ…” Jenna sobbed quietly, yanking on the chains harder and glared hatefully back at this man, her entire mind opening to the cold harsh truth. “Everything she told us…”

“Yes?”

“You had an affair with our mother, didn’t you?” It was a mere statement as Jenna shot daggers back at him, watching as that smirk turned into a full blown grin dripping with pure evil intentions. “You’re Olivia’s father.”

“Give this lady a round of applause, ladies and gentlemen!!” Mark crowed, a momentary sadness filling him at the thought of his lost beloved, Lucille. “It was more than an affair, Jenna, dear. It was YEARS of feeling your mother’s body against mine, of taking her away from your pathetic excuse of a father. He couldn’t give your mother what I could and did. He was constantly gone out of your lives because his job was more important than his own damn family. Your MOTHER was nothing more than a trophy wife to him. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“SHUT UP!!” Jenna shrieked, trying to cover her ears with her hands, but the cuffs prevented her from doing so. “YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT!! YOU DESTROYED OUR FAMILY!!”

Apparently Mark struck several nerves with Jenna, which was a very good thing and exactly what he wanted. “You keep thinking that, sweetheart, and see how far it gets you. All my precious daughter did was tried to open your eyes to the truth and you refused to see it. You refused to see your mother as a woman who ran around with another man on her husband. Who cheated on her husband WILLINGLY and became impregnated with another man’s child other than her husband. Me. It was ME.” His amber eyes flashed and, a second later, Mark had his hand wrapped tightly around Jenna’s throat. “She was everything to me. I loved your mother more than Blake ever could and she betrayed me by giving our baby away to another family, who burned in a fiery inferno.”

Suddenly, Jenna thought back to the night her house had caught on fire in the basement and what Elena told her about Olivia. “You…” Olivia was in a world of danger and there was nothing Jenna could do to stop it locked up like an animal. “You set my house on fire. You set the fire at Olivia’s parents. This is all because of YOU.”

“Correction, my sweet Jenna, they were NOT her parents. She did not have their blood running through her veins. She has MINE and Lucy’s. Lucy saw fit to send her away and kept my daughter away from me all of her life. I missed out on so much because of your wretched mother, but that’s fine because I’ve found a way to make sure I get all the time in the universe with my daughter.” Mark went from frowning to smiling in a matter of seconds, those amber eyes that mirrored Olivia’s flashing dangerously.

“Believe what you want, but they were her parents. They raised and took care of her, not you or my mother. All my mother did was make sure she wasn’t raised by a monster like you and I’m glad she succeeded because Olivia is brilliant, smart, beautiful and everything you’ll never be!” Jenna shouted, crying out when Mark backhanded her a second later and made her fly back on the bed in a heap.

“SHUT YOUR MOUTH, BITCH!” Mark growled venomously, shedding his buttoned up white shirt and tossed it over his shoulder, his eyes practically devouring her whole. “You’re going to pay for those words, Jenna.” He promised, slowly started to crawl on the bed and groaned when she kicked him square in the face. “And I’m going to make your agony last for HOURS on end, possibly days, if I have my way.”

“NO!!” Jenna screamed, kicking him again and began struggling with every ounce of strength she had in her tiny body. “GET OFF OF ME!!”

“Mmm since you’re no relation to me, just my daughter, I think it’s time to find out if Lucy’s precious princess is as tight as her mother was.” Mark grunted in her ear, smirking when Jenna physically tensed beneath him and buried his face in her supple neck, his tongue snaking out to taste her skin. “So delicious…”

Jenna was in deep trouble and there was nothing she could do to stop this from happening. “P-Please don’t…” She pleaded, gasping when her shirt was ripped from her body, leaving her in just her bra because her pants quickly followed. “M-My mother w-wouldn’t…”

“You remind me of her.” Mark whispered, running his large hands down her sides until he hooked his thumbs in the waistband of her panties, those amber eyes locking with her again. “Go to your happy place and just let this happen, little Jenna.”

For hours on end, Mark Beckham took his time to thoroughly touch and taste every crevice of Jenna’s body. It was covered from head to toe in bruises shaped like handprints and her face was swollen from being backhanded countless times. She was pretty sure Mark hadn’t missed any part and had taken her every which way without her consent. Once Mark emptied his seed inside of her unwilling body for the tenth time, he seemed to be finally spent and reached up, releasing Jenna from her shackles.

“You were sweeter than your momma, Jenna.” Mark stated, snapping his jeans back into place and snapped his fingers, watching as both Aaron and Teresa stepped in the room.

Through blurred vision from hot tears, Jenna could make out who stood before her now and swallowed hard, not having the strength to move. “T-Teresa…” What the hell was Jeremy’s girlfriend doing here? “G-Get out…of here…”

Teresa merely twirled a piece of hair around her finger and smirked wickedly up at Aaron, both of them awaiting their master’s commands.

“Don’t kill her, only play.” Mark ordered, shoving both of them toward the bed and left without a backward glance, heading to take a much needed shower.

Phase two of his plan would soon begin.

Chapter 31

“Liva, you have to calm down before you end up pacing a hole in the floor.”

Olivia merely waved her best friend off, her mind clouded with all the possibilities of what happened to her newfound sister. For the past three days, all Olivia could do was stand back and watch as everyone else tried numerous tactics to find Jenna. It wasn’t fair she was stuck in the mansion and left behind in all the investigations all because she had no supernatural powers. She was surrounded by vampires, witches, werewolves and even a vampire hunter that had vampires for friends.

“Liva…”

“No.” Olivia finally stopped pacing and glared at Simone with tightly pursed lips. “Since this is ALL I’m allowed to do, I’ll be damned if you try taking it away from me.”

Simone frowned and couldn’t imagine how hard it must’ve been for Olivia to be forced to stay here, but it was for her own good. “You’re safe here…” Simone knew that was the wrong thing to say, but there were no words to comfort Olivia.

“Yes I know and it SUCKS!” Olivia growled, the anger surging inside of her and tossed her half tumbler of Tequila right into the fireplace, the flames erupting momentarily. “I’m safe while my sister is out there somewhere and god knows what is happening to her!!”

The pacing finally ceased as Olivia dropped to her knees in front of the fireplace, shutting her eyes and let the tears pour like two rapid streams down her cheeks. Simone’s heart shattered at the sight of Olivia and rushed to her side, but didn’t touch her. She knew better. So she just sat there beside Olivia and stared into the flames, not saying a word.

Thanks to Damon persuading her to stay behind with Olivia for the day, Simone now understood why. Olivia was in a bad way and Simone had to find some way to distract her while the others went out to do more investigating and searching. Simone knew these past three days since Jenna’s kidnapping were possibly the worst in Olivia’s life, besides her childhood home being blown to smithereens along with her parents.

“I know you don’t believe this, Liva, but everything is going to be fine. We’ll find her.” Simone said, trying to inject as much belief into those words as she could.

“Why are you here, Sim?” Olivia demanded, slowly turning her head until tear-filled red swollen amber eyes locked with worried jade. “Why aren’t you out there searching for Jenna?”

Simone lowered her eyes from Olivia’s intense gaze and stared back into the fire, sighing wearily. “I was worried about you-” She blinked when Olivia jumped to her feet instantly and joined her, swallowing hard.

She was lying. Her best friend was lying to her and Olivia understood why. She knew the answer, but apparently Simone was following orders from someone she supposedly considered her enemy. A vampire - Damon Salvatore, who was her boyfriend and the man that ordered HER to stay put in the mansion while everyone else searched for Jenna.

“You’re lying to me.” Olivia practically spat out, gritting her teeth and clenched her fists at her sides, angry tears continuously falling. “You’ve been doing that an awful lot lately and I don’t know why, Simone. Why the hell is it so difficult for you to just tell me the truth? I’m not a damn porcelain doll, I can handle the truth! So just say that Damon ordered you to stay here with me and stop LYING!!”

There was no point in arguing with Olivia because everything she said was the truth, including the accusations. “He’s just worried about you…” Simone whispered, taking a step toward Olivia and frowned when she took a step back. “Liva, I’m not the enemy and I’m also worried about you. That’s why I decided to hang out with you today while everyone else is out there, so you’re not alone. I don’t want you being alone, especially right now.”

“I understand that and appreciate your concern, but the ONLY thing you should be doing is using your gift and supernatural abilities to find my sister. I’m completely helpless right now, Sim, but you’re not. You can find her, I know you can. So everyone needs to stop worrying about me and keep focused on finding Jenna. She is the ONLY thing that should matter right now!” Olivia shouted, letting her emotions overwhelm her and hoped Simone listened to her for a change. “Damon will always worry about me, even when we’re together. He thinks I need to be protected all day every day and I don’t. I love him, but he’s being completely unreasonable by forcing me to stay here while everyone else is out.” Damon went even further in the protection by asking Bonnie to cast a spell over the entire mansion, which prevented Olivia from leaving.

Truthfully, Simone had nearly shredded Damon when she found out he asked Bonnie to put a spell over the mansion preventing Olivia from leaving. She confronted him about it, ready to force him to change his mind, but then he said the one thing that put Simone fully on his side. Granted, she knew Damon still hadn’t said this to Olivia and figured he was waiting for the right time, but it’s what her best friend needed to hear now more than anything.

“I love her and I won’t lose her.”

“Liva, I-” The shouting of someone from the hallway –they were currently in the study- cut Simone’s words off as they both snapped their heads to the study’s entrance. “Oh my god!! Jeremy?”

“Help me will you?” Jeremy breathed out, stumbling inside with a beaten, battered and bloody Teresa.

“Oh my GOD!” Olivia gaped and rushed over to her nephew; taking Teresa’s other arm to swing it around her neck as they both carried her to the couch. “Jeremy, what the hell happened to her? Who did this?”

Jeremy shrugged; looking worried for his girlfriend and tore a hand through his hair. “I don’t know. I found her lying on the ground just down the street. I was on my way here to check on you and stopped when I saw her car pulled on the side of the road.” He sat down gingerly beside Teresa while Simone rushed to grab some ice packs and wet clothes to wipe the blood away from her face.

Olivia frowned, sitting on the other side of Teresa and looked up when Simone practically flew back in the study moments later, taking a wet washcloth from her. “Thanks.” She murmured, turning her attention to the young woman and began wiping the blood from her eyes. “She’s got a nasty gash on her forehead.”

“Among other things.” Simone muttered, having a sinking feeling whoever did this to Teresa had Jenna. “I’m gonna go check outside and see if I see anything. You said you found her down the road, Jerm?”

Jeremy cracked a smile at the nickname Simone gave him and nodded. “Yeah, you’ll see her car pulled on the side.” Tossing the keys at her, Jeremy wasn’t surprised when Simone caught them with ease. “Bring it back for us, will you?”

“Sure thing, just get her cleaned up before the bloodsuckers return.”

Simone winked when Olivia shot her a glare and blew a kiss before rushing out of the mansion. She could only hope there was some kind of clue that linked Teresa to Jenna’s whereabouts. Olivia shook her head and went back to cleaning up Teresa, who was currently unconscious. That was probably a good thing because this nasty gash on her forehead told Olivia she more than likely had a bad concussion.

“We need to get her to a hospital.” Olivia stated, dipping her washcloth into the bowl of clean water that quickly turned red with Teresa’s blood and tried registering the emotions on Jeremy’s face. “She’s in bad shape…”

“N-No…!” Teresa coughed out, every part of her body feeling as though it’d been through a war or three and shook her head slowly. “N-No h-hospital…p-please…”

Jeremy jumped at the sound of Teresa’s voice and immediately leaned over her with worried eyes, running his finger very tenderly down her still blood-smeared cheek. “You scared the hell out of me, Resa.” He breathed, pressing his forehead against the side of her temple to avoid putting pressure on the bad gash. “Who did this to you? What the hell happened, baby?”

It took a few minutes for Teresa to speak due to the intensity of how hard her head pounded. Her eyes locked with Olivia’s, completely ignoring Jeremy for the moment and could feel fresh tears sting her eyes. Blood trickled out of her mouth as Teresa lulled her head back, though she never broke eye contact and reached her hand up to gesture Olivia to come closer.

Olivia swallowed hard, along with Jeremy, and leaned down until she nearly touched noses with Teresa with a quirked eyebrow. “What is it, Teresa?” She asked, bracing herself for whatever came out of this young girl’s mouth that had her nephew smitten.

“P-Pocket…” Teresa gasped out and reached down to pull something out of her jeans, handing it over to Olivia. “H-He has her…and h-he’s waiting for y-you…” She coughed more, leaning against Jeremy as the pain exploded throughout her body, trying to fight it back until she got this message out. “Y-You must go…alone…if y-you want her b-back alive…”

Looking down at her hand smeared with Teresa’s blood, Olivia blinked at the sight of a small key and looked back up at Teresa, her amber eyes widened. “I-I can’t get out of here. Damon forced Bonnie to put a spell on this place and…”

“T-Taken care of…” Teresa’s eyes slowly closed, her chest rising and falling slower with each breath she took, the tears stopping. “G-Go…”

What did Teresa mean it was taken care of? Did that mean Olivia was allowed to leave the mansion? She practically crushed the key in her hand and stood up from the couch, looking toward the study doorway. Jenna was out there somewhere and Olivia had no idea where to go, the key in her hand still a mystery to her.

“I-I don’t understand...” Jeremy stood beside Olivia, not sure how to feel toward this woman that claimed she was his long lost Aunt. “Where are you supposed to go and what does that key go to?”

Olivia didn’t answer and turned to face her nephew, seeing the pain crossing his face. She didn’t hesitate and pulled him into her arms, hugging him close while he released his pain against her shoulder. Feeling his hot tears soak into her shoulder answered the question burning on her tongue and Olivia refused to mention another word about it. Teresa was dead and no amount of vampire blood in the world would bring her back.

“Let’s go.” Jeremy muttered, pulling away from Olivia after a few minutes and wiped his tears away, squaring his shoulders. “I want my Aunt Jenna back. We can’t lose her, not with everyone else we’ve lost in our lives.”

“Believe this or not, but I feel the same way you do. I don’t want anything happening to Jenna. She’s my sister, whether you like it or not.” Olivia was blunt, but no anger filled her voice because she honestly had nothing to be mad about. “And I love her and my newfound family, which includes you. I won’t stop you from going with me though because I know how much you want to help get Jenna back. So let’s do this together, Jeremy, and save her from whomever this monster is that sent Teresa as a message.”

Jeremy couldn’t argue with that even if he wanted to and nodded, pure determination filling his eyes. “I’m going to assume you can leave the mansion now if what Teresa said is true.” They walked out of the study and down the hallway toward the front door of the mansion, stopping at the entrance. “Are you sure about this? You know Damon is going to be pissed at you, right?”

“I don’t care. Jenna is our family and if it means walking into a lion’s den to get her back, so be it.”

Olivia was tired of running and didn’t want to be protected anymore, taking a chance by stepping out the front door. The cool night air assaulted her instantly and Olivia sighed with great relief, wondering who could’ve broken Bonnie’s spell. Jeremy followed instantly, both of them stopping simultaneously at the sleek black car staring back at them with tinted windows.

“I guess we found out what we use that key for.” Jeremy commented, managing to crack a very small smile, but it did not reach his intense eyes. “That still doesn’t tell us where we’re supposed to go though…”

“I know, it doesn’t make sense…” Olivia’s words trailed off as she spotted something sticking out of the car door and frowned, walking over to it. “There’s a note, I think.” Snatching it out of the car door, Olivia quickly unfolded it and began reading, each black inked word burning into her retinas.

When Olivia didn’t say anything at first, Jeremy nudged her and wondered what the letter said. “Olivia, what does it say? Do you know where we’re supposed to go?” He demanded, knowing they didn’t have much time to leave before the vampires and wolves returned to the mansion, not to mention Alaric. “Olivia??”

Dropping the piece of paper to the ground, Olivia’s lips pressed in a firm line as she turned her head to stare at her nephew with cold unfeeling citrine eyes. “Get in the car, I know where to go.” She ordered, stomping once on the piece of paper that held all the answers she needed and waited until Jeremy was in the car before pulling something out of her jean pocket. “I’m sorry Damon, please forgive me.” She whispered, slamming the small vile of liquid down her throat and tossed it to the side before turning to get in the car, slamming the door shut.

“So, where are we going?” Jeremy asked after Olivia started the car and squealed tires pulling out of the mansion’s driveway, heading straight out of Mystic Falls. “I’m assuming it’s out of town, right?”

“Atlanta, my old home.” Olivia answered in a monotone voice, ignoring Jeremy’s shocked expression and slammed on the gas pedal, knowing they had no time to waste.

Jenna’s life hung in the balance and the only one who could save her was Olivia. It’d been three very long days – 72 hours – and she finally had the answers on where Jenna was located. The stipulations were simple: Come alone. Of course, Olivia wasn’t doing that, but Jenna’s kidnapper didn’t need to know that. Olivia had a plan and just hoped it worked in her favor, but she already knew Damon wasn’t going to be happy once he got back to the mansion and discovered her absence.

‘I love you Damon, I’m sorry.’ She thought, leaning back against the seat and pushed her heartache down in the pit of her stomach, not letting off of the gas for anything.

There was a possibility Olivia wouldn’t make it out of this alive and she was prepared for that if it meant Jenna lived.

Chapter 32

Olivia

I have who you’ve been looking for and all the answers you seek. If you ever want to see Jenna alive again, you’ll come for her…Alone. Where? The place you love more than life itself. I am the key to all of this, Olivia. You have exactly one day to come to me willingly or I will come for you and Jenna will be dead.

Your choice.

No matter how many times Damon read the small note, he still couldn’t wrap his mind around it. He knew Olivia was gone the moment he arrived at the mansion and smelled blood. Human blood. Damon had flown inside along with Stefan, while Elena and Alaric followed, only to discover…nothing. The blood on the couch was new and fresh, but there was no body found. Olivia was gone and hadn’t left any clue, besides this crushed note outside in the driveway, of her whereabouts.

As if things couldn’t get worse, Olivia wasn’t the only person missing. Alaric and Elena couldn’t get a hold of Jeremy while Tyler tried countless times calling Simone’s cell phone. No answer from all three parties. Olivia had left behind her cell phone, but Alaric knew Jeremy always had his, just in case. So, the only person who knew Olivia inside and out was missing. This was a nightmare! Without Simone, they had no idea where Olivia could’ve gone that she loved more than life itself.

“This is insane. This is completely messed up.” Alaric stated the obvious and scrubbed a hand down his face tiredly, having no idea what to do at this point. “First Jenna is taken by someone or something and now Jeremy, Olivia and Simone are gone. What the hell is going on around here?”

“I don’t know.” For the first time, Damon was at a complete loss and had no idea what to do either, his eyes still glued to the crushed dirty note.

Elena was beside herself with both guilt and fear for her family, trying to keep herself together for everyone else’s sake. “Bonnie, you cast a spell on this place. So how did Olivia leave? The spell worked because we tested it before leaving.” Damon made sure of it because he didn’t want anything happening to Olivia.

Bonnie kept her eyes lowered and shrugged her shoulders, at a complete loss as well. “Yes it did. I don’t understand what happened either.” She gasped when a hand suddenly wrapped around her throat and her feet left the floor. “NO!”

“If you came back here after we left and took that spell off so she could leave, I will kill you here and now.” Damon snarled in a deadly voice, his aquamarine eyes flashing dangerously and increased the pressure of his hand on her throat. “DID YOU WITCH?”

“Damon, stop it!!” Elena cried out, rushing over to him and was stopped by Stefan, completely terrified. “DO SOMETHING!!”

Stefan didn’t have to because, a second later, Damon dropped Bonnie to the floor clutching his head, screaming in agony. Bonnie scrambled away from him with a few tears sliding down her cheeks, petrified just like she was the night Damon first attacked her. Damon had come to Mystic Falls for an amber crystal that came to be known as the Bennett Talisman. He needed it in order to break a spell Emily cast in order to open a secret tomb full of vampires from his time, including Katherine.

All the vampires were rounded up in Mystic Falls in 1864 and placed in a church that was burnt to the ground, but Emily’s spell protected them all. Damon had been deeply, irrevocably in love with Katherine and begged Emily to save her, to name her price. He would do anything to make sure Katherine survived, even if it meant he didn’t see her again. So Emily struck a deal with Damon because she knew the townspeople would come for her.

Katherine sold her out, though Emily did not know it at the time and wanted her lineage to survive, no matter what. So the deal was if Damon protected her lineage and made sure the Bennett bloodline did not die, she would cast a spell over the church that would lock all the vampires, including Katherine, away safely. With a spell that powerful, Emily had to generate power from a celestial event – a passing comet- along with Katherine’s crystal that became known as the Bennett Talisman. However, Emily did not want the vampires to be released because they would destroy Mystic Falls and never thought Damon would be able to open the tomb.

When Damon succeeded in capturing the crystal, Emily knew what she had to do, even in death. In order to stop Damon’s diabolical plan of opening the tomb, Emily possessed Bonnie’s body during a séance she had with Elena and Caroline, leading her to where the tomb was located. Bonnie had no control over her body whatsoever and Emily stared right into Damon’s eyes as she destroyed the Bennett Talisman.

With the crystal destroyed, there was no way for Damon to open the tomb…or so Emily thought. Emily had broken their deal and hadn’t lived up to her end of the bargain, in Damon’s eyes, so he decided to make her pay the price for crossing him. Overcome with rage, Damon attacked Bonnie and bit her neck, right into her carotid artery and nearly killed her. Stefan had pushed Damon off of Bonnie and healed her with his blood in time or else Bonnie would’ve bled to death.

Damon remembered that night well and knew Bonnie did too just by the pure terror in her dark eyes. “If you didn’t do it, then there’s another witch lurking around Mystic Falls. We’ve been watched.” He said gruffly, stepping away from Bonnie to give her some space and walked over to pour a much needed tumbler of scotch.

Elena did not like the sound of that and walked over to Damon, knowing he was in pain because of Olivia’s disappearance. She could feel it and her heart broke for him because, for the first time since she met Damon Salvatore, she knew he loved Olivia. He didn’t have to say it out loud and Elena hoped Bonnie didn’t hold that little incident against him. Honestly, she was the only witch they knew of in Mystic Falls, so that meant another stranger was in town and they were helping the person or creature that took her family.

“I agree with Damon.” Elena announced, placing a hand on his shoulder and turned to face a stunned Stefan, her own brown eyes full of truth. “He’s right, there is someone that’s been spying on us and we need to find out who it is before we do anything else.”

“What about Simone?” Tyler demanded, finally voicing his concern regarding his girlfriend. “We can’t just leave her out there! We don’t know what’s happening to her!”

That was true too. Simone was their friend and they couldn’t abandon her, especially when she knew Olivia better than anyone. “Then we find her first.” Elena held her hand up when Damon whirled around, nearly knocking her over, with icy eyes. “Damon, Simone is the ONLY one who can tell us where Olivia went. The place she loves more than life itself. We have to find her, she’s the key to getting Olivia back and I have a feeling Jeremy is with her too.”

“How can you be sure of that?” Damon spat, clenching his jaw tightly so he didn’t grind his teeth into dust.

“Because Jeremy texted me earlier and told me he was heading over here to see if Olivia heard anything since I didn’t.” Pulling her cell phone out, Elena showed Damon the text message as proof. “I just have this feeling that neither of them was taken like Jenna and they went together. If they were kidnapped, whoever took Jenna wouldn’t bother giving Olivia an ultimatum in the note. Either she came willingly or they would kill Jenna. And knowing Jeremy, he wouldn’t let her go by herself if it meant he had a chance to save Jenna.” Elena reasoned, slipping the cell back in her pocket and leaned into Stefan as his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

“Elena’s right.” Stefan watched as his brother tensed and knew the reason behind it. They were putting a werewolf’s life before a human’s, a creature that was their mortal enemy. “Damon, Simone can help us better than anyone. If we find her first, then we’ll get to Olivia faster than searching the whole country for her.”

As much as Damon hated admitting it, he knew little brother had a point and hated him for it. “How do you know we can trust them? What if Simone is behind all of this? What if she’s the one who took Jenna in order to get Olivia away from me? She’s strong enough to do it and she is supposed to be our enemy.” Simone never did like or approve of him being with Olivia, which made Damon believe even more that she was the culprit.

“Simone would never do that, bloodsucker!!” Tyler growled angrily and fought back the urge to tackle Damon to the floor, every part of his body feeling as though it was engulfed in flames. “Don’t you dare accuse her of this! She loves Olivia and thinks of her as a sister, she would never do something like this and you KNOW IT!!”

Elena had to get involved before they both killed each other and elbowed Stefan in the stomach, rushing over to slide between them, holding her hands out against Damon’s chest. “Stop it both of you!!” She shouted, glaring up at Damon while Tyler breathed heavily on her neck. “You both have to stop thinking about yourselves and being so selfish! This isn’t about either of you! This is about people we love and care about being in danger! So stop with the dick measuring contest and start helping each other or we’ll never find them!!”

Both species continued glaring at each other for the next five minutes, neither saying a single word while Elena stood her ground between them. The whole room had gone completely silent due to everyone staring at Elena with wide eyes and open mouths. They could not believe she just stood up to both a vampire and a werewolf, Stefan included. She had absolutely no fear and Stefan fell in love with her even more at that moment, the biggest smile spreading on his face in spite of everything.

“She’s right, you both need to knock your crap off before I deal with both of you.” Alaric stated, stepping forward and finally broke the silence that had filled the study. “Arguing and pointing fingers isn’t getting us anywhere. We need to put our heads together and figure out what to do and how to get EVERYONE back.” He directed that toward Damon with narrowed eyes, daring his friend to say one wrong word. “Damon, I’ve helped you with countless problems in this cursed town. I’ve stuck by your side, defended you and saved you on more than one occasion. So now it’s time for you to return the favor to me. If you’re truly my friend, you will put your differences aside with Lockwood and help me find Jenna.”

Damon groaned inwardly and couldn’t argue with anything Alaric said, knowing he did owe the man after all they’d been through. Alaric Saltzman was indeed his only friend on the planet and not to mention one hell of a partner in crime. They solved so many problems together and killed quite a few bottles of bourbon, whiskey and scotch. If Damon lost his drinking buddy, he wouldn’t know what to do with himself and would go back to his evil ways, which nobody wanted.

“Fine.” Damon gruffly conceded and held his hands up in defeat, taking three steps back from Elena. “I’ll help you find your shewolf, but only if you agree to help us find Olivia.”

Tyler snorted derisively, stepping back as well. “I already planned on it because Simone isn’t going to rest until Olivia is back safe and sound. Wherever Simone goes, I go.” It was that simple and, not to mention, Olivia was human so Tyler couldn’t turn his back on her even if he wanted to.

Damon didn’t appreciate the fur ball showing him up, but took it with a grain of salt because they had more important things to take care of. “So what’s the plan, Ric?” He asked, folding his arms in front of his chest and pursed his lips tightly together, hoping his vampire slaying friend had an idea of where to start.

“The blood.” Tyler pointed out before Alaric opened his mouth, walking over to the couch. “Every human has their own stench. I can smell the blood and everyone can split up looking around Mystic Falls. And it’s not Simone’s.”

“Well that’s very helpful.” Damon’s voice dripped with sarcasm and ignored Tyler’s glare, holding his hands up. “Just saying, wolf. We don’t even know if Simone was taken or if she’s with Liva. How do you know she didn’t go with Liva to save Jenna?”

That was a good point. Nobody had thought of that possibility until now. “Well there’s still human blood. Whoever that blood belongs to has to know what happened or has to have some kind of information.” Elena said, trying to stay positive for everyone in the room because they were all losing hope. “Let’s just find the person who bled on the couch and go from there.”

It was a start and the only evidence they had that something wasn’t right. Damon hated this. He wanted Olivia back in his arms and felt completely helpless because he didn’t have the foggiest idea where she could’ve gone. Where was the place she loved more than life itself? Damon knew the answer was RIGHT in front of him and he just couldn’t see it, which frustrated him even more.

“Hey you guys, have you seen Jeremy anywhere?” A voice came from the doorway, causing everyone to turn to stare at Matt Donovan.

Bonnie didn’t waste a second and flew into his arms, tossing her arms around his neck as fresh tears slid down her cheeks. Matt frowned, not understanding what was going on and held Bonnie tightly against him, stroking her back tenderly. He knew Jenna was taken, but something else apparently happened and Matt had a sinking feeling it had to do with Jeremy.

“You haven’t seen him?” Elena asked, walking over to her friends and felt the light of hope slowly diminishing within her a little more.

“No, that’s why I’m here. He sent me a text saying he was stopping here to check on the status of Jenna and then he’d be in for his shift at the grill. He never showed up.” Matt felt Bonnie pull away enough to stare up into his confused worried blue eyes and immediately wiped her fresh tears away with his thumbs. “What happened?”

Elena sighed heavily and took a deep breath before explaining to Matt that Jeremy, Olivia and Simone had been added to the missing person list.

Chapter 33

“What the hell are we doing staring at a pile of rubble for?”

The pile of rubble is all that was left of the Jackson’s and Olivia’s memories. It was all gone, just one big pile of ash since the house had burnt to the ground. Olivia hadn’t been back here since that day she drove back from the city, only to find fire trucks and police swarming the front of her home. She’d been forced to stay away while they put the fire out and tried finding the remains of her parents, which they had.

Blinking, huge tears slid down Olivia’s cheeks as she slowly walked toward the rubble and bent down, pushing her hand into the ashes. She took a handful and stood back up, letting the ashes slowly pour out of her hand into the cool night air. The half-moon shined brightly above them, along with billions of stars glistening, but all Olivia could do was silently cry. Nothing was beautiful about this situation and it never would be again, that much Olivia knew was true.

Jeremy didn’t know what to do for Olivia, though his heart did go out to her. He wasn’t completely heartless and genuinely felt her pain, remembering how it felt when his parents died. They ended up in a horrific car accident that Elena miraculously survived, though it was due to Stefan pulling her out of the car to safety. He heard the crash and only had enough time to save Elena because Grayson refused to be saved instead of his daughter. The crash happened on Wickery Bridge and the Gilbert’s ended up drowning, leaving behind their son and their adopted daughter in the care of Miranda’s sister, Jenna.

“I know how you feel.” Jeremy’s voice remained low as he walked over to stand beside Olivia, trying to reign his emotions in. “My-Our parents death really took a toll on Elena. For months she was depressed and prescribed pills that helped her function because she didn’t cope well with their death. She blamed herself for their death while she survived and said it wasn’t fair. I remember hearing her sobbing on a nightly basis in the bathroom we shared and I had no idea what to do for her. I was heartbroken too, so I started snorting pills. I met this girl named Vicki Donovan, Matt’s sister, and…she got me hooked on them. She told me it was the only way to get rid of my pain and I believed her because I’d been in love with her since we were kids.” Talking about Vicki like this really hurt Jeremy, especially since his current girlfriend was now also dead.

“What happened to her?” Olivia asked quietly, slowly looking up at her newfound nephew and could feel how difficult this was for him to talk about. “Jeremy, you don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to.”

Jeremy managed to crack a small smile full of sadness that broke Olivia’s heart more. “No it’s okay, it helps to talk about her.” He admitted, running a hand through his hair and closed his eyes, the memory of Vicki suddenly enveloping him whole. “She was the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met in my life. Nobody compared to her. She had wicked long auburn hair and beautiful deep dark hazel eyes. They were mostly brown with a little green in them.” He slowly sank down on the ground and grabbed a stick, beginning to run patterns into the dirt absentmindedly. “Even when we got high together, I never saw one flaw in her.”

Noting how passionately Jeremy spoke about this girl, Olivia was suddenly intrigued and sat down beside him, listening intently. “Go on.” She urged softly, not wanting to push him, but at the same time her burning curiosity was her current enemy.

“Damon got his hands on her.” Jeremy snapped the twig he grabbed and tossed one of the pieces to the side, cracking his neck. “He’ll kill me for telling you this, but I really don’t care at this point.”

The mention of Damon’s name wasn’t something Olivia expected, her amber eyes widening. “What do you mean Damon got his hands on her? Did they…?” The words clogged her throat and Olivia suddenly got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. “What did he do to her, Jeremy?”

“Killed her.” Jeremy whispered, looking away from Olivia as fresh tears slid down his cheeks. “Not in the way you’re thinking, but close enough. He fed on her and compelled her to forget everything. He used her to send a message to Stefan and Elena because, at the time, Stefan had drugged Damon with vervain. He locked him up in the cellar of the mansion so Damon couldn’t hurt anyone, especially Elena. Damon got out somehow, I still don’t know the full story behind it, but he ended up finding Vicki, took her back to the mansion, fed her his blood and snapped her neck.”

Olivia swallowed hard and didn’t say anything for a full minute, digesting that information. “He…turned her?” When Jeremy nodded, Olivia lowered her eyes from him to her clasped hands in her lap, trying to keep the tears from stinging her eyes. “That’s crazy…”

“Vicki had no idea what happened when she woke up and she came straight to me. You want to know the worst part about what Damon did? It wasn’t turning her into a vampire. It was the fact he let her go without telling her a single thing about being one. He just let her walk the streets freely.” Jeremy snorted, standing up from the ground and dusted his jeans off, tossing the other half of the stick into the rubble. “She ended up going to our school’s Halloween thing that they have every year and lost control. We were making out in the back of the school where the school buses were and Vicki bit me...hard. I tried pushing her off of me and Elena managed to pry her away, which angered Vicki. She attacked Elena and…was staked through the heart by Stefan.” Closing his eyes, Jeremy took a few deep breaths to calm down because the memory of Vicki dying before his very eyes was an image that still haunted his dreams.

Shock was the only thing Olivia felt and she had no idea what to do or say to Jeremy after hearing all of that. It was surreal how the same man she had sex with and loved more than anything was this monster Jeremy described. Damon was nothing like this, but Olivia had no idea he’d been this bad prior to them meeting. Granted, Damon had told her that he’d done some pretty cruel things and if she wanted to walk away from him, he wouldn’t stop her. Now she understood the meaning behind that and felt more confused than ever.

“If you’re truly my long lost Aunt, Olivia, then you’ll get away from Damon Salvatore before he destroys you too. He doesn’t care about anyone except himself. He’s a selfish, inconsiderate dick.” Jeremy knew that firsthand and looked down at the ring on his finger, another memory hitting him like a ton of bricks. “Simone was right about everything she told you regarding vampires. I know Elena is in love with Stefan and it took me a very long time to accept their relationship because of what happened to Vicki. I forgave Stefan because he was only protecting my sister.” Even though Elena was biologically Grayson’s brother’s daughter, it didn’t change the fact she was still Jeremy’s big sister in his mind and heart. “Damon, on the other hand, victimized the only woman I’ve ever truly loved and I’ll never forgive him for it.”

No matter how much Olivia wanted to defend Damon to her nephew, she simply couldn’t. All the pain radiating from Jeremy was real and intense. He carried this around with him for years and it sounded as though he rarely talked about what happened to Vicki Donovan. So much devastation, it made Olivia start wondering what else Damon Salvatore had done to her biological family.

“Doesn’t that just break my little heart.” A female voice sounded behind them, both Olivia and Jeremy whirling around, only to come face to face with Teresa.

“What the HELL?!” Jeremy gaped, his eyes shot open as far as they could go and couldn’t believe Teresa currently stood in front of him in the flesh. “You’re supposed to be dead!! What the hell is going on here?”

Teresa mocked a frown as she slowly sauntered up to Jeremy, swaying her hips back and forth seductively. “So many questions…” She purred, running a finger down his shirt covered chest and slowly circled until she stood right behind him, her mouth by his ear. “Yet not enough answers. Pity.” One second she stood behind him and the next, she was in front of both of them in the spot she previously stood, a smug smirk on her face. “Tsk, tsk, tsk naughty girl Olivia, you were told to come alone.”

Olivia shot cold citrine daggers at the young girl she thought had lost her life too soon because of an attack. “You’re not human.” This bitch had pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes and now they were paying the price for it. “Answer his question now. Are you the one with all the answers? Are you the one who took Jenna?”

“Of course not, you foolish girl.” Teresa cackled, skipping around the seared land that once held a beautiful house. “I was merely a messenger and delivered a spectacular performance, I must say. Did you really think it would be THAT easy to come here and sweet Jenna would be handed over to you?” She laughed harder, the sound sending shivers down both Jeremy and Olivia’s spines.

“Where is she?” Olivia stepped forward, pushing Jeremy behind her and was prepared to die if it meant saving her sister’s life. “And he has nothing to do with this. He came because Jenna is here. Now hand her over.”

“My, my quite the demands you have.” Teresa stroked her chin in thought, flying over to stand right in front of Olivia and took a strand of her auburn hair, twirling it around her finger. “If you want Jenna back, you’re going to have to give something up in return. He’s not just going to hand her over to you, Olivia.”

“He?” Who the hell had taken Jenna if Teresa was merely a messenger? “Was it your so-called ‘brother’ Aaron?” She suddenly demanded, trying to wrack her brain of all the possibilities and felt her stomach tighten when Teresa shook her head.

“No, Aaron has his own orders to fulfill for our master.” Teresa informed them coolly, turning her back on Olivia and began kicking a stick on the ground, whistling. “So Olivia, what are you willing to give up to save your precious newfound sister? How far are you willing to go to make sure she’s not harmed?”

“Don’t answer that, Olivia.” Jeremy ordered in a whisper, already knowing Teresa was a vampire and had enhanced hearing. “She’s sending you into a trap.”

Olivia nodded once, letting Jeremy know she’d heard his concerns and kept her eyes glued on Teresa. “How do I know Jenna isn’t already dead?” She shot back, folding her arms in front of her chest and saw the evil smirk curve Teresa’s lips, her own eyes narrowing.

“That’s a very good question.” Teresa conceded with a snort, starting to skip back and forth in front of the rubble, looking like a teasing school girl. “Hmm what if she’s already dead or, better yet, what if she’s one of US?” She hissed that last word, cackling when both of their faces instantly paled. “You are SO gullible, it’s almost too amusing!”

Gritting her teeth, Olivia fought back the temptation to tackle Teresa to the ground and stake her with one of the wooden sticks. “If she was, we wouldn’t be here right now.” She said confidently, suddenly getting an idea and hoped Jeremy went along with it. “I have no idea what this person or creature wants that took Jenna, so I have no idea what to say. I have no objections if that’s what you want to hear.”

Jeremy glanced down while Olivia had Teresa’s full attention and saw her hand direct him toward the rubble. If Olivia could keep Teresa distracted, it would give Jeremy enough time to stake her. He’d already been thinking about it and was thankful he’d grabbed one of Alaric’s vampire hunting contraptions before leaving the house.

Alaric had given them each a set for Christmas a few years back, just in case they had any unwelcome visitors in Mystic Falls that needed taken care of. Unbeknownst to everyone, Jeremy had secretly taken vampire hunting courses with Alaric because he wanted to do everything he could to protect his family and people he loved. He patted her hand once to let her know he understood what she was telling him and carefully reached under the long sleeved shirt he wore, making sure the weapon was securely in place.

“What is the most precious thing you have to offer my master?” Teresa practically purred out the word master, pure affection, love and adoration pulsating through her sultry tone.

“Whatever he wants, just don’t hurt Jenna!” Olivia cried out desperately, clasping her hands together in a plea and secretly hoped Jenna wasn’t already dead. “Please just tell me who took her!”

“Would you give up your own life?” Teresa completely ignored Olivia’s pleading and pulled a nail file out of her skirt pocket, beginning to file them since she extremely bored.

“Yes.” Olivia answered without hesitation, hoping Jeremy acted soon or else they would miss the opportunity to stake Teresa and not make it out of there alive. “I’ll give my life up for hers, anything he wants. Just let Jenna go, PLEASE!”

“Well I don’t know…” Teresa trailed her words off as she shook her hand a little to get the nail trimmings off and went to open her mouth again, but nothing came out this time.

Olivia grunted out when Jeremy suddenly shoved her down on the ground forcefully, barely getting her hands up to land on them so her face didn’t get scratched up from the debris. She heard a gasp of air and took a second to get her equilibrium back on track before looking up, her eyes widening at the sight. Jeremy stood over Teresa as the nail file slipped from her hand and she dropped to her knees, a wooden stake sticking out the middle of her chest. Olivia scrambled up to her feet and could only watch in sick fascination as Teresa desiccated right before their very eyes, crumpling to the ground in a heap.

Jeremy bent down and closed Teresa’s eyes, pulling his sleeve back over the weapon that had fired a stake right into her heart, smirking at Olivia’s shocked face. “You didn’t actually think I came without backup, did you?” He watched as she shook her head and turned around, only to bump into a very hard chest.

“No, I was planning on it.” The man stated, a cold smile on his lips and made sure Olivia’s eyes locked on him before grabbing the boy’s head, snapping his neck.

“NOOOOOOOO!!!” Olivia shrieked out, rushing over as Jeremy’s body crumpled to the ground in a heap and felt the tears rush down her face. “Jeremy? JEREMY, WAKE UP!!” She pressed her hand against the pulse point on his neck and cried out harder when she felt absolutely nothing, not even a heartbeat. “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

Chapter 34

So the little she-wolf was finally waking up. Good, he was starting to get bored. Dangerous things happened when boredom set in, so thankfully the little bitch saved a few human lives by waking up from her beauty sleep. He smirked wickedly, running his fingertip along the sharp edge of the dagger in his hand, which gleamed through the darkness. They were in a cave…of sorts on the outskirts of Mystic Falls.

Somewhere nobody could hear her screams.

Simone groaned when someone kicked her in the thigh and felt as though she’d been run over repeatedly by a semi-truck. What the hell happened and where was she? Her eyes managed to pry open, staring up into a pair of cold yet familiar grey eyes of Aaron Green. Prying her eyes from his, Simone looked down at her wrists, which were in two massive steel cuffs and the rest of her body heavily chained to the solid cement.

They were in some kind of cellar, though Simone had a feeling it wasn’t on the Lockwood property. She looked at the walls with the huge bolts sticking out that connected her chains. Simone quickly came to the realization that she’d been kidnapped by this little boy that she sorely underestimated. If there was one thing Simone couldn’t stand was somehow flying by her very protective and normally accurate radar.

“I’m just gonna cut to the chase since I know this type of situation.” Simone said, not bothering to fight against the chains because she knew she couldn’t break them. “What the hell do you want, pal?”

Aaron raised a slow eyebrow at the she-wolf and folded his arms in front of his chest, not appreciating how calm she was. “What no fighting the chains, howling or threatening?” He taunted, hoping that lit a fire under her fur ball rear, but to no avail.

Simply smiling, Simone shook her head and laughed, wondering if this idiot was serious. “Oh please, you don’t think this is my first time being locked up do you?” She loved the shocked expression on his face and quickly capitalized on it. “Honey, I LOVE S&M, though you’re just a little too small for my taste.”

This was not going according to plan and Aaron could feel his temper heightening with her smart mouth. “Shut up.” He ordered, kicking her again in the stomach this time and blinked when she merely grinned up at him, jade eyes turning to pure acid.

“Just remember, whatever you do to me will come back to haunt you. Think about it, honey.” Simone suggested, her voice full of promise and retribution as soon as she escaped. “And I’m not going to shut up because I have some questions that need answers.”

This bitch was getting on his nerve already and Aaron had to fight the temptation not to just end her pathetic life. “I’m not telling you anything. Now I highly suggest you shut up before I make you.” He threatened, squaring his small shoulders and growled when she merely laughed at him again.

“Go ahead and do your worst, boy.” Simone sneered, having smelled the wolfsbane as soon as she became conscious, even before her eyes opened. “It won’t change your fate.”

“You look hungry, have a bite and shut your mouth.” Aaron ordered, shoving a full batch of wolfsbane into Simone’s mouth and watched in sick satisfaction as she immediately began gagging.

Simone forgot how horrible wolfsbane tasted and could feel her mouth bubbling like boiling acid. The smoke from her seared mouth quickly permeated the air, which was simply delicious to Aaron. He waited for her to start screaming in agony, only to be sorely disappointed when she didn’t say a single word. Not one scream, screech, or roar…nothing except gagging.

“Is that all you got, dick munch?” Simone spat hatefully, spitting some of the wolfsbane out of her mouth, but most of it had gone down her throat, burning her esophagus. “Where the hell is Olivia and Jeremy?”

If it hadn’t been for her supernatural healing ability, she would be dead right now.

“Someplace you don’t need to worry about. Don’t worry, they’re being well taken care of.”

“WHERE?” Simone roared, wishing she could get out of the chains and rip his throat out, gritting her teeth. “Just tell me if she’s alive. You owe me that much since you tricked everyone.”

Aaron glared down at her, considering her words and decided to humor her. “She’s alive, but not for long.” He reached down to pat her cheek and yelped when her teeth chomped down on his hand, breaking skin. “You stupid BITCH!!”

“Maybe next time you’ll keep your dead hands off of me, bloodsucker.” Simone did more than break skin and spit out the piece of Aaron’s hand she bit off, grinning maliciously at the blood trickling down her chin. “I do love me some vampire flesh. Care to offer some more, honey?”

Aaron responded by kicking her square in the face, hard enough to knock her out temporarily and stormed out of the cellar. He had to leave before the she-wolf pushed him over the edge and he ended up defying his master’s orders. Teresa’s existence hung in the balance, so he had to be careful or else he would never see the love of his life again. If only Aaron knew, at that very moment, Teresa lay dead at the ashes of Olivia Jackson’s childhood home.

Not fully unconscious, all Simone could do was lay there chained up and finally let a few tears slide down her cheeks. Simone was ridden with intense guilt, wishing she hadn’t left the mansion when she was supposed to look after Olivia. She failed her again. The first time was when she chose Tyler over Olivia, only for Damon to attack and nearly kill her by crushing her throat. Now both Olivia and Jeremy were in danger, had more than likely been taken just like Jenna and Simone didn’t want to think of what could be happening to them right now.

As soon as Aaron slid into his car, his phone went off and a smile slowly slid across his face at the sight of Caroline Forbes’s name flashing on his caller ID. Teresa had screwed that little Gilbert brat, so he didn’t feel the least bit guilty for shacking up with Vampire Barbie. She had to be the dumbest blonde on the planet not to notice he too was a vampire, but of course Aaron did give an academy winning performance.

Whistling, Aaron pressed the call button and waited for her to pick up, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “Hey beautiful, sorry I missed your call, what’s up?” He asked, putting his car in reverse and drove away from the cellar doorway, heading back to town.

“Oh nothing, just bored.” Caroline sighed wistfully at the sound of Aaron’s voice, sounding as perky as she could. “Wanna come over and help me with my boredom?”

“On my way.” Aaron growled, ending the call and slammed his foot on the gas, heading straight for Caroline’s place. He decided to send Teresa a quick text to make sure her plan with Olivia went happened as planned.

“It’s done.” Caroline said, snapping her cell phone shut and sat down on the couch while Elena, Stefan, Damon, Tyler and Alaric stood there with impatience written all over their faces. “Will someone tell me what’s going on please?”

“Jeremy and Olivia took off somewhere and Simone is missing too.” Elena said all in a rush, feeling lightheaded and lowered herself to the couch beside Caroline, tears forming in her eyes.

Damon could tell how upset Elena was and decided to take over the storytelling while Stefan guided her out of the room for some air. “We went over to Teresa Green’s house because Elena thought she might know something about Jeremy’s whereabouts. I personally didn’t like the idea, but whatever we went.”

“And found out some pretty disturbing information.” Alaric chimed in, trying to keep his temper in check because his blood boiled at the thought of what exactly they discovered at the Green residence.

Caroline frowned, looking back and forth between them and reached over to grab her tumbler of whiskey, having a feeling she would need it. “It can’t be that bad…right?” She tried laughing through it, but the serious expressions on both Damon and Alaric’s faces immediately made her stop. “What is it?”

“I need this more than you do.” Damon snatched Caroline’s tumbler and downed the whiskey in one large gulp, handing it back to her. “Turns out the Green’s aren’t who they said they were. They’re not siblings, Caroline.” Aquamarine eyes locked with deep ocean blue and Caroline blinked when Damon took her hands in his, her eyebrows furrowing.

“I don’t understand…”

“They’re married.” Damon immediately let her hands go and threw them up in the air, walking over to stare out the window.

“Oh god…” Caroline covered her mouth with her hand, her blue eyes widening to the point of almost falling out of her head, not believing what she just heard. “Seriously? You’re telling me that I’ve been sleeping with a married man??”

“It gets worse.” Alaric said ominously, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

“How the hell could it get worse than THAT?” Caroline demanded, standing up and felt sick to her stomach, not to mention used and violated. “I trusted him…”

Alaric and Damon exchanged looks just as Elena walked back in the room with Stefan, deciding Caroline had to hear everything. “They’re not human. We found a huge freezer in their basement full of blood bags.” Alaric said, watching as Caroline’s head snapped up since she’d been staring at the floor in shock.

“WHAT?!” She shrieked, shaking her head frantically as tears filled her eyes. “No – NO, I would’ve known if he was a vampire! I would’ve-”

“They weren’t vampires at first because Damon and Stefan would’ve noticed something at dinner the other night.” Elena assured, walking over to wrap her arms around Caroline’s neck, hugging her tightly. “I’m so sorry, Car. If we would’ve known sooner...”

Her heart broke for her best friend because it’d taken Caroline quite a while to get over her last relationship before Aaron Green, which was Tyler Lockwood. Caroline helped him on his first full moon, his first transformation into a werewolf and things exploded from there. Granted, it took them a while to admit they had feelings for each other and they ended up sleeping together on Elena’s eighteenth birthday at the Lockwood mansion.

After that, they were inseparable and Elena was very happy for them, thinking they would last forever. That was until Tyler was forced into becoming a hybrid by Klaus, one of their most dangerous enemies. After that, Tyler had been sired to Klaus, doing whatever he said and nearly killed Jeremy in the process to send a message to Elena.

Caroline ended things with Tyler because she refused to let her best friends get hurt because of the sire bond, but their love for each other was too intense to ignore. Caroline ended up calling her father, William Forbes, to help the man she loved because she couldn’t lose him due to something as trivial as a sire bond. William did what he could and told Tyler the only way he could break the sire bond was to willingly change into a werewolf repeatedly until he no longer felt pain.

Being a hybrid, Tyler never had to change into a werewolf again and break every bone in his body. Tyler ended up making a decision to leave Mystic Falls and traveled up to the Appalachian Mountains to break the sire bond to Klaus. He ended up meeting another werewolf up there by the name of Hayley, who apparently saved his life by helping Tyler break his sire bond. They ended up having a one night stand up in the mountains and Caroline had found out by Klaus, forcing her to end the relationship with Tyler for good.

As hurt as Caroline was, deep down she knew they weren’t meant to be, but it still took her a very long time to get over that heartache. Elena remembered all the late night phone calls from Caroline, begging her to come over so she wasn’t alone. She cried countless times on Elena’s shoulder and ate so much ice cream that, if Caroline wasn’t a vampire, she would’ve easily gained three hundred pounds. Being a vampire definitely had its perks, but it had even more downfalls, though Caroline had handled it brilliantly so far.

“It’s okay.” Caroline pulled back and plastered on a smile, trying to keep her head up for Elena’s sake as well as her own. “At least I found out before our relationship went any further.”

No matter what happened to Caroline, she was always very optimistic and Elena loved her for that. “Right and something tells me he knows where Teresa is. If we find Teresa, we find Jeremy, Olivia, Jenna and possibly even Simone.”

“Simone is our first priority though.” Tyler piped in, ignoring the look Elena shot him and walked over, refusing to stay out of the conversation any longer. “She’s the only one that can help us find Olivia and you know it. We had a deal, don’t break it, Elena.”

Sighing, Elena couldn’t argue and opened her mouth to respond, but the sound of knocking on Caroline’s front door immediately shut it. “Hide now.” Caroline ordered very quietly, almost mouthing it and nodded once when Tyler shot her a knowing look, letting him know silently she understood what he said. Simone did come first. “Coming!”

Aaron flashed a pearly white smile at Caroline and didn’t waste a second as soon as she opened the door. Caroline was taken aback, but didn’t push him away even though every part of her body wanted to. She no longer felt the desire course through her body when she kissed Aaron, only nausea and wanted him as far away from her as possible. Still, four people’s lives were on the line and Caroline wouldn’t let her friends down, pushing herself to kiss him back just as passionately.

“Mmm did you miss me?” Aaron rumbled, already ripping his shirt off and tossed it to the side, working on getting Caroline’s top off while delving his mouth into her neck.

“Mmm no, I didn’t.” Before Aaron could react, Caroline slammed the vervain dart right in the middle of his back as hard as she could, holding him as he crumpled to the floor in her arms.

Aaron couldn’t breathe and felt his entire body freeze unwillingly, the amount of vervain injected into his system quickly working its magic. It wasn’t enough to knock him out though because they needed him awake for interrogation. Caroline didn’t waste time and dragged him into the living room, knowing her mother wouldn’t be home for several hours. Aaron could only watch as Damon, Stefan, the vampire hunter Alaric and the hybrid Tyler Lockwood chained him up to a steel chair to where he could move or escape.

“Now then, the REAL fun is about to begin.” Damon promised, standing right in front of him and hauled off, backhanding Aaron across the face. Blood was spat back at him seconds later and Damon slowly wiped it off of his face, a deadly smirk crossing his lips. “Ohhh good, you’re feisty, I’m gonna enjoy this even more now.”

Chapter 35

No matter how hard she tried, Olivia could not stop crying even as she was dragged away from Jeremy’s dead body.

It somewhat surprised Mark how willingly Olivia was in coming with him, expecting her to fight him off as soon as he grabbed her upper arm. She didn’t though and he chalked it up to her wanting to see Jenna survive this. Mark glanced over at Teresa’s dead corpse and pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing he would have to call in reinforcements to take care of the body. Right now, however, he had more important things to worry about and they all had to do with his lovely daughter.

Olivia stared straight ahead as this monster shoved her into the passenger seat of his car and didn’t bother buckling up. Lowering her head, Olivia shut her eyes tightly once the driver’s door slammed shut and could only silently mourn for Jeremy. She would forever blame herself for his death because she let him come with her on this suicide mission. Not once did Olivia try to stop Jeremy and now she paid the price for that stupid decision…with her nephew’s life.

“Don’t worry, Jeremy’s body will be properly disposed of.” Mark assured her, no feeling in his even monotone voice, his eyes staring straight ahead. “You’re more beautiful in person than your pictures.”

“What pictures?” Olivia whispered quietly, cringing at the mention of Jeremy and knew she was the key to all of this just like he said in his note.

“We’ll get to that once we arrive at our destination.” Mark promised, blowing right through a stop sign and turned left down a dark country road.

Olivia swallowed hard, tempted to jump out of the car, but the thought of Jenna immediately squashed that idea. Jeremy’s death was on her hands, she really didn’t want her newfound sister’s to be as well. Wherever he was taking her, Olivia could only hope she saw Jenna again and somehow set her free since he did everything the note stated…almost.

“Is Jenna okay?” Olivia had to ask before her courage dwindled and physically shivered when his deep chuckle washed over her.

“For now, but that can change, so don’t get any bright ideas about trying to escape, Olivia.” He cautioned, giving her one fair warning and glanced over at her briefly before moving his attention back to the dark road.

“I’m not, I promise. Please don’t hurt her.” Olivia pleaded, finally looking up at him through tear-filled amber eyes. “I’ll do whatever you want, there’s no reason for you to keep her. You have what you want.”

“True…” He trailed off, stroking his goatee thoughtfully and stopped at the next stop sign, his own eyes locking with mirror images and felt his breath hitch slightly. She really was his daughter, his flesh and blood…there was no denying it now or questioning. “But why would I do that when I can use her as leverage against you to make sure you behave?”

This man was sick and Olivia couldn’t believe he had the same eyes as her, which confused her more. She didn’t say another word to him and turned to stare out the window, letting silent tears slide down her face. What had she walked into and had she made the right decision?

Jeremy was dead and Jenna would end up the same way if she didn’t cooperate, which terrified Olivia to no end. What baffled her even more was that she had NO idea what this man wanted with her, trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle together. He had answers – he was the key to everything, so what the hell did that mean? If he was a key to everything that happened, did that include her parent’s death and possibly even Lucille’s?

For some reason, something wasn’t clicking in Olivia’s head and she blamed exhaustion for it. She hadn’t slept ever since Jenna’s abduction. The only thing that currently kept her eyes open was adrenaline and fear of what could and would happen in the next few hours. Whatever this man wanted with her, it wasn’t good. Olivia could only hope he didn’t make the torture last more than twenty four hours or else her plan would go up in flames.

The rest of the drive was made in complete silence, not even the radio playing and Olivia was about to go out of her mind with anxiety. Mark felt it and smirked, slowly putting the car in park and took the key out of the ignition, his eyes landing on her. Olivia swallowed hard when she felt that icy stare from him and kept her hands in her lap, fighting the urge to jump out of the car. She had to do everything he said, for Jenna’s sake.

“Remember what I said, Olivia. If you’re planning on escaping me, I will make you suffer. I will make you watch as I torture your precious sibling until she begs me to kill her. Do you understand?” Every word that came out of his mouth was filled with promise and Mark smiled in satisfaction when Olivia immediately conceded.

“I’m not going anywhere. You have my word.” Olivia promised quietly and shut her eyes as he stepped out of the car, walking over to open her door like a gentleman.

“That’s what I like to hear.” Mark approved, extending his hand and fought back shock when she took it without hesitation, pulling her out of the car. “Since you’re being very compliant, I’ll reward you. I’m sure you want to see your sister, yes?”

“Yes.” Olivia nodded eagerly, hope flaring within her and let him guide her into the two story old Victorian style house, taking in her surroundings.

With long strides, Mark guided Olivia straight up the winding staircase until they arrived at the second floor right in front of a steel door. “Stay put.” He ordered gravely, stepping up and pressed his hand against it, green dots flashing all around before outlining his hand.

‘This guy has one hell of a security system.’ Olivia thought, knowing it would be extremely difficult to get out of here and could feel her freedom already slipping away.

Every part of her body tensed when the automatic locks on the door opened and it swung open into a pitch black room. Mark stepped back and gestured with his hand, silently inviting her inside and Olivia hoped this wasn’t a trap. He didn’t blame her for being timid, which showed great character and smarts. It also showed Mark didn’t have a fool for a daughter, she was highly intelligent.

“No more…please…” A faint voice whimpered loud enough to where Olivia could hear, but no movement was made.

“Jenna!” Olivia rushed inside as soon as she heard her sister’s voice, tears streaming down her face as relief washed over her. The room was so dark that Olivia couldn’t make out Jenna’s figure right away, but she quickly came in contact with a bed. “Jenna? Jenna, it’s me. It’s Olivia Jackson.”

Jenna’s bottom lip quivered as she instinctively scooted away from the voice, shaking her head frantically. “No…No, it’s not really you! You’re screwing with me again! Stop sending me hallucinations!! I can’t take it anymore!!” She cried out, the rattling of chains echoing throughout the room and felt hot tears scorch her bruised cheeks.

Those words broke Olivia’s heart and made her that much more determined to touch Jenna. Until she came into physical contact with her sister, Olivia wouldn’t believe it was her. She would deal with everything else later on, her first priority was making sure this really was Jenna. For all Olivia knew, this was one big trap set by this monster that had destroyed her family with the help of lunatic vampires.

“Let go of me!” Jenna gasped out when she felt warm soft hands grab her wrists and kept shaking her head repeatedly, trying to get away. “No more…”

“Jenna, look at me right now.” Olivia ordered, already thinking of a way to snap Jenna out of this fear she’d drove herself into. “It’s Olivia, I’m here in the flesh and you have to listen to me. I’m not a hallucination. I have a best friend named Simone, who is a wolf and I’m in love with a vampire named Damon Salvatore.” When none of that made Jenna believe this really was Olivia, she decided to delve deeper emotionally and kept a firm grip on Jenna, refusing to let her go. “I showed you a letter that my adopted mother wrote me before she and my adopted father died. It stated that you were my biological sister, you and Miranda and Lucille is – was my biological mother. Elena and…Jeremy…” Olivia had a very hard time saying his name, still trying to figure out how she was going to tell Jenna she’d singlehandedly killed their only nephew.

As soon as Jenna heard those two names, it was almost as if a bucket of ice cold water had been dumped over her, snapping her out of whatever state she was in. “A-Are they okay?” She demanded shakily, slowly looking up until she locked eyes through the darkness with soft warm amber eyes, which were opposite of her abductor’s. “Olivia, it’s really you isn’t it?”

“Yeah, I’m really here…” Olivia blinked when Jenna tossed her arms around her neck and the sisters embraced tightly, fresh tears falling from both. “It’s okay, Jenna. Everything is going to be okay. I’m gonna get you out of this, I swear it. He doesn’t want you, he wants me and he only went after you to get to me. I promise, I will make sure you get out of this alive no matter what I have to do. Whatever he wants, he can have as long as you’re safe.”

The mention of her abductor sent Jenna into shivering convulsions, which made Olivia hold her tighter, trying to hold it together and failing miserably. “W-What does he want from you?” Jenna whispered in her ear, trying to keep her voice as low as possible and felt Olivia pull back, feeling her thumbs brush away her tears.

“I don’t know.” Olivia cringed when Jenna let out a hiss of pain and she snatched her hands away, not wanting to hurt her any more than she was. “I’m going to find out though, but I need you to stay strong for me okay? This is all going to be over soon. He won’t hurt you again now that I’m here.”

“You sound awfully confident about that statement, Olivia.” His dark voice flowed into the room, which suddenly felt chilled to the bone. “Enough with your squabbling, we have a lot to discuss and not much time.”

“Olivia…” Jenna couldn’t help hold onto her hand, not wanting to let go because she was the only connection to her family.

Flashing a small smile back at Jenna, Olivia leaned over to press a very soft kiss to her forehead and pulled away, standing to stare back their abductor. “That’s because I meant what I said. I’ll give you anything you want and tell you anything you want to know, whatever it takes to protect my family.” She stated with the same confidence, swallowing down her fear and walked toward him when he gestured her forward.

“We shall see about that. Follow me.” He ordered, stepping out of the room and waited until Olivia did as she was told, the door slamming shut locking into place behind them seconds later. “Hmm maybe you do mean what you say. We’ll see how far I can push you to the edge though, just to be sure.”

Olivia didn’t bother replying to that and simply followed him back down the winding staircase that lead to a long corridor. It sort of reminded her of the Salvatore mansion, only it was much older and…depressing. Sliding open a door with a roaring fireplace, they both walked inside and Mark gestured to a nearby chair while he poured himself a glass of brandy. He didn’t bother asking Olivia if she wanted one because he was this girl’s father after all and had to be some sort of role model for her. The thought alone made him chortle quietly.

“Now then, it’s time to get down to the explanation of why you’re here.” Mark said after a few minutes of silence, doing that purposefully to see just how fragile Olivia’s nerves were. Once again, she surprised him by staying perfectly calm, cool and collected.

It was both admirable and irritating.

“I’ll let you open up with a question and we’ll go from there.” He said cordially, giving her the floor and sat down in the chair opposite of her, settling in comfortably. “Starting now.”

“What did you mean when you wrote in the note that you are the key to everything that’s happened?” Olivia didn’t have time to waste and was thankful she came with a backup plan in case her first one failed. Time was definitely not on her side.

“That’s quite simple really and I think you already know the answer to that question, honestly. You’re brighter than this, Olivia, so don’t insult me.” Mark snorted, sipping his brandy thoughtfully and once again locked his cold amber eyes on hers.

Olivia didn’t expect that type of answer and had no idea how to respond, her eyes never leaving his. Why were they so familiar? What did he mean that she already knew the answer? She had no idea what he was talking about or else she wouldn’t have asked!! It became quite clear that he wasn’t going to make this easy for her and Olivia would be spending the majority of the evening piecing a very difficult puzzle together.

When Mark got fed up with Olivia’s struggling, he decided to toss her a bone metaphorically. “I know you’ve noticed it already, so think of our eyes. They are…similar, aren’t they?” He finished his brandy off and stood up from the chair, going for a refill.

“Yes, but…”

All of a sudden, it was as if the biggest wave of reality crashed over Olivia and she felt completely rocked by it, the answer smacking her in the face. His eyes…Her eyes...They were the same and that immediately made Olivia think back to Margaret’s letter, feeling her head begin throb painfully. She was given up because of Lucille’s affair, but Margaret neglected to mention the name of the man who had impregnated Lucille.

“O-Oh my god…” Olivia slowly stood up from the chair, her breathing increasing as her heart pounded furiously against her chest and shook her head back and forth repeatedly. “No…No, it c-can’t be…”

“It can’t be what?” Mark asked, acting as though he didn’t know what she was talking about even though he did. Just by the look in her suddenly frantic amber eyes, he knew she’d finally pieced everything together within a matter of seconds, thanks to his fitting clue. “You need to speak clearer, I can’t understand you when you’re muttering.”

Olivia felt her mouth go completely dry as the tears erupted from her eyes, coursing down her stung cheeks. “You-You’re…you’re my…” No matter how hard she tried, Olivia couldn’t say the last word and covered her mouth with her hand when Mark merely grinned at her wickedly.

“Welcome home, daughter.”

Chapter 36

Breathing heavily through a mouth full of blood, Aaron was steadfast in telling them anything and fought through any pain they inflicted on him. “You might as well kill me because you’re not getting any information out of me.” He growled, spitting blood on the floor right at Caroline’s feet.

This wasn’t getting them anywhere and Damon grew increasingly frustrated with every minute that ticked by. It was another minute they lost in finding Olivia and the others. Sticking a hot poker in Aaron’s chest, punching him relentlessly and even burning his skin with vervain didn’t work. Damon wondered what it would take for Aaron to talk or if they should just rip his heart right out of his chest and find another way to find everyone.

“Damon, let me talk to him.” Elena said, stepping away from Stefan and sighed when Damon immediately denied her. “Look, violence isn’t solving anything and it’s only making him more defiant. Let me talk to him.”

“What could you possibly have to say to him that we haven’t already?” Damon demanded, folding his arms in front of his chest with icy eyes. “Asking him nicely to tell us where his precious wife is won’t work.” Turning, Damon unfastened his sleeve cuff and began rolling it up his arm, cracking his neck. “He wants to die, so I’m going to oblige him.”

“No!” Elena stepped in front of him, pressing her hands against his chest. “If you kill him, then we have no other leads! He’s the only one that can tell us where Teresa is, don’t you understand that?”

Her pleas fell on deaf ears because Damon was convinced Aaron wouldn’t spill his secrets, especially when it meant his wife would end up in danger. “He’s not talking, Elena.” He said patiently, pushing her to the side gently but firmly and shot his brother a look, telling him clearly to keep her in line.

“Elena, he’s right.” Stefan placed a hand on her shoulder, sighing when she shrugged him off. “Staying here drilling Aaron isn’t helping. We have to find another way.”

“But…”

“Sweetheart, we’ve been at this for hours now and time isn’t on our side. The longer we stay here interrogating and torturing him, the chances grow slimmer for Jenna, Olivia, Jeremy and Simone.” Stefan reasoned, hoping Elena listened to him because, for once, he did agree with his brother. They couldn’t let Aaron live either, it simply wasn’t an option.

“Wow brother, for once we’re actually on the same side.” Damon commented, walking around Elena to stand in front of Aaron and slowly bent his knees until his elbows rested on them, staring into dead eyes. “Any last words before I rip your heart out of your chest and feed it to you, Green?”

“If that is even his real name.” Caroline added insult to injury, folding her arms in front of her chest and had zero sympathy for the dick that lied to her from day one. “Don’t rip it out fast, Damon. Do it slowly so the pain spreads through every part of his body.”

Damon raised an eyebrow at Vampire Barbie and let out a low whistle, flexing his fingers that had pulled countless hearts out of chests. “Why couldn’t you be like that when we first met? I would’ve found you more attractive…” Snapping his fingers, Damon smirked wickedly at a scowling Caroline and couldn’t help the next jab. “Oh that’s right! You were a weakling human that I used. Vampirism really does suit you better. If I wasn’t in love with Olivia, I might try to give us another round.”

Barking out a harsh laugh, Caroline tilted her head slightly and had the perfect comeback. “What makes you think I’d give you another round, old timer? Sorry, but I like my men young, not over a century and a half years old.”

Everyone besides Aaron started laughing at the stunned expression on Damon’s face as Caroline exited the room, flipping her blonde curly hair over her shoulder and went outside for some air. Elena quickly followed her giggling uncontrollably while Alaric and Stefan stayed behind to witness Aaron’s final moments…and to make sure he didn’t try killing Caroline for those remarks. Never in his life as both a human and vampire had Stefan witnessed his brother be cut down verbally by a woman the way Caroline just did and he officially loved her for it.

“I’m starting to wonder if vampire women have PMS.” Damon muttered, brushing off those comments as much as he could and couldn’t let his ego get in the way of what was important.

“Back to business.” Stefan cleared his throat to try hiding his obvious amusement, not able to wipe the smile from his face.

Nodding, Damon didn’t waste another second and went to plunge his hand into Aaron’s chest, when a cell phone went off. He stopped and sighed exasperatedly, dropping his head while Stefan sifted through Aaron’s green jacket. He tossed it at Alaric and shrugged when the vampire hunter asked if he could go outside to burn it. Damon smirked, snatching the phone from his little brother and looked at the name flashing on the caller ID.

MASTER

“Stef, I think this is the guy he works for.” Damon said quickly, glaring over at Aaron and pursed his lips tightly together. “I’m holding this up to your ear and if you try telling your ‘master’ you’re in trouble, I’ll end you a lot slower than Vampire Barbie wants.”

Aaron gritted his teeth, knowing what that meant and nodded tersely. Damon flipped it open and put the phone on speaker, hoping Caroline had overheard their conversation. If Elena barged back in here now and talked, they’re only leverage would be destroyed, which couldn’t happen. Stefan simply stood there with a stone face, his arms folded in front of his chest and raised a brow when a deep dark voice sounded over the speakerphone.

“Don’t say a word and just listen, boy. I hope you have that she-wolf locked up nice and tight because I have what I want. You keep her sedated with as much wolfsbane as it takes, do NOT under any circumstances let her come here or else. Do we understand each other, Aaron?” The dark voice demanded, causing both Salvatore brothers to snap their eyes straight to Aaron.

Aaron knew he was in trouble as soon as his master mentioned the she-wolf and swallowed hard, deciding not to press his luck further. “I understand, sir. How’s Teresa?” He asked, knowing she’d taken off to Atlanta after their plan of luring Olivia to Atlanta and capturing Simone worked. “I take it the plan worked?”

“Teresa is dead. She was weak.” The line went dead after those cold words were spoken, a dial tone pulsating around the room.

Aaron couldn’t believe what he just heard from his master and closed his eyes tightly shut, leaning back against the chair to try keeping his tears at bay. He killed her. His master promised nothing would happen to her and had lied to him. Aaron was not happy and could feel his broken dead heart icing over, honestly not caring what happened to him anymore.

“Well isn’t THAT intriguing.” Damon remarked, snapping the lid of Aaron’s cell phone closed and pressed it directly against his throat. “So you DO know where Simone is, hmm?”

“Yes.” Aaron snarled, his entire body shaking from head to toe from how magnified his only emotion was. Deep searing red anger. “I’ll take you to her if you let me go. I’ll tell you everything he told me. Please don’t kill me until I’ve had a change to avenge my wife’s death. I know I don’t deserve it, but…” Sighing heavily, Aaron decided to come clean about how he arrived in Mystic Falls in the first place. “I honestly don’t remember how we got here. My wife and I were on our way up to Long Island for our two year anniversary and decided to stop in Virginia for a bit.” Spitting more blood out on the floor, Aaron leaned back as his eyes closed, having remembered every single time his master compelled him and Teresa into doing what he wanted. “We met him in Norfolk and he told us he had a much better place we could go besides Long Island. After that, we ended up in Mystic Falls somehow and it wasn’t until I was turned into a vampire that all the memories came flowing back to me. He threatened to kill my wife if I didn’t listen to everything he said and do what he wanted. He wanted the wolf girl locked up while Teresa lulled Olivia away from Mystic Falls to where he is.”

“Do you know where that is?” Stefan demanded, having listened to everything this boy said and couldn’t help feeling a shred of pity for him while Damon stared at him with murder in his eyes. “Easy brother, this is valuable information.”

“Where did he tell your wife to lure Olivia?” Damon growled, balling a fistful of Aaron’s collar in his hand and yanked as hard as the chains would allow him. “Where’s the she-wolf?”

“The only thing I know is he told Teresa to head to Georgia, but they wouldn’t tell me what town.” Aaron grunted out, the shirt cutting into his neck from how tight Damon held it. “The wolf girl is on the outskirts of town. Take these chains off of me and I’ll lead you to her. I swear, I won’t betray you. That dick told me my wife wouldn’t die and he lied to me.”

Damon searched his eyes for any sign or indication that he was lying and found none. “If you’re lying to us – no scratch that - if you’re lying to ME, I will rip your tongue out along with your heart, are we clear?” He stated heatedly and the boy nodded without hesitation, causing Damon to reach into his back pocket for something.

A second later, Aaron was freed of the chains as they all fell from his body just as Tyler, Caroline, Elena and Alaric rejoined them. “What the HELL is going on here?” Tyler demanded angrily, dark eyes flashing and couldn’t believe they were letting this bloodsucker go. “Have you lost your MINDS?”

“He came clean about where Simone is and we got a lead on where Olivia and Jeremy went.” Then Damon suddenly stumbled back and closed his eyes, the realization crashing over him intensely. “Damn, I can’t believe I didn’t see it sooner…”

“What?” Elena blinked, the excitement of hearing that they had leads making her adrenaline rise rapidly. “Damon, what is it?”

“Atlanta.” Damon knew he didn’t have another second to waste or spare, pulling the keys out to his blue 1969 Chevy Camaro Convertible, storming past everyone out of the house.

“Damon, wait!!” Stefan flew after his brother, shoving Damon when his brother didn’t slow his walking. “You can’t go after her yet.”

“THE HELL I CAN’T!!” Damon roared, shoving Stefan right back and would kill him if it meant he came one step closer to saving Olivia. “Aaron is the one who took Simone, he knows where the wolf girl is. I know where Olivia and Jeremy went. We need to split up and you need to go with them to free Simone. Vampire Barbie is strong, but she’s not as strong as you and Aaron can easily get away from her if he chooses. Make sure Tyler keeps him restrained at all times since he’s the strongest out of us all.” Those words left a bitter taste in Damon’s mouth, but it was the truth considering Tyler Lockwood was a hybrid. “Now get the hell out of my way, brother, before I rip YOUR heart out.”

Stefan had never witnessed his brother lose his temper quite like this and could see all the unconditional love shining in his eyes for this one human girl. “You’re not going alone then. I’ll take Aaron to free Simone, but you need backup and I’m not letting you go without taking someone with you.”

“I’m going with him.” Alaric announced from behind, already having all of his weapons in the car and watched as Damon nodded, clapping him on the back. “We already discussed this and decided if Aaron spilled where Olivia and Jeremy was, we were the ones going after them.” Not to mention Jenna was still in danger and in the hands of this ‘master’ of Aaron’s, which didn’t settle well with Alaric at all. “Go find Simone and meet us up there. Take Caroline and Elena with you too.”

“No, I’m going with you guys.” Elena argued, all three men turning to face her and dared any of them to fight her on the decision. “Jeremy is my brother, Jenna is my Aunt and so is Olivia. They are my only family left. I’m going whether you two like it or not.”

Damon had learned long ago not to argue with any of Elena’s decisions and merely opened the passenger door for her, smiling coldly at his brother. “I’ll take care of her and bring everyone back. Join us as soon as you can and try not to get yourselves killed.” He walked over to the driver’s side and slid behind the wheel while Elena took the backseat, letting Alaric have the front passenger.

“I love you, Stefan, be safe please.” Elena reached her hand out through the open window and felt him take her hand, squeezing it as Damon fired up the engine to his Camaro.

“Love you too.” He didn’t want Elena out of his sight, especially with all the disappearing of people lately, but he wouldn’t fight this decision either. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Damon put the car in reverse and peeled out of there, making a U-turn and headed straight for the highway toward Atlanta. Both Alaric and Elena had worried expressions on their faces, neither of them knowing what to think. So much had happened as Elena watched Mystic Falls fly past her, Damon breaking more than a few driving laws and hoped they didn’t get pulled over. Then again, if they did Damon would just compel the officer and keep going on his merry way.

“How do you know they’re in Atlanta?” Elena asked after an hour of silence, the question burning on her tongue ever since she heard him say it at Caroline’s.

“She told me.” Damon answered evenly, keeping one hand on the wheel while reaching in the back for the small cooler he kept in his car. “Damn it, I can’t reach it. Elena, hand me one of the blood bags out of that cooler. I need all the strength I can get before we arrive in Atlanta.”

Elena didn’t argue and handed him one, opening it for him so he didn’t have to struggle to do so while driving. She wanted him as strong as possible because he was the only weapon they had, besides Alaric’s skilled hunting. That still didn’t make him any less human, even with a ring on his finger that protected him from supernatural deaths. It was known as the Gilbert ring and there were two, the other one currently on Jeremy’s finger or so Elena hoped.

This was indeed going to be the longest seven hour drive of Elena’s life and she hoped they arrived in time before she lost another member of her family.

Chapter 37

While Olivia sat there in stunned silence, Mark stepped away to make a quick phone call to his gopher, Aaron. He had to make sure Simone Turner wasn’t a threat to his plan, glancing back at his daughter briefly. She wouldn’t do anything that put Jenna’s life in jeopardy, he was certain of that much. It didn’t matter if she did try escaping, Mark was faster, stronger and would drag her back if necessary.

Once he made the brief call, Mark shut his cell phone off and slipped it in his back pocket, turning his full undivided attention to Olivia. “I know you must have a lot of questions for me and I’ll answer them all, now that you know the truth.” He owed her that much, even though he wasn’t at fault for not being in his child’s life.

Olivia looked up at him through tear-filled amber eyes and still couldn’t believe this monster was the same man that helped give her life. Was this some kind of cruel joke? Just one look in his eyes made Olivia fully believe he was indeed her father, especially since they were identical. He was right, Olivia did have a lot of questions for him, but she was positive he wouldn’t appreciate the things she wanted to know.

She had to know.

“Promise me you won’t hurt Jenna first because there are questions I want answers to that you won’t like.” Olivia beseeched, leaning further back in the chair and suddenly felt the need to drink that whole bottle of brandy he currently had in his hand. “And I need a drink before we talk any further.”

“Of course, help yourself.” Mark gestured to the small bar and took out a tumbler for her, letting her pick her poison. “I already told you I won’t hurt Jenna if you cooperate with me, Olivia. I want you to ask me anything you want, any questions rolling around in your mind. Jenna is safe, you have my word on that.”

Pouring a glass of Tequila, Olivia took a long drink of it and walked back over to the chair, curling up on it. “Your note said you were the key to all that’s happened. What did you mean by that?” Deciding to start out simple, Olivia knew she was about to find out things that would no doubt destroy her and she was prepared for absolutely anything.

Settling down in his own bigger chair, after tossing another log on the fireplace, Mark sipped his brandy thoughtfully while considering her question. “I meant exactly what I wrote, Olivia. I am the key to everything that’s happened. Before we get into that, I think you should know some information about your father.” He smirked when she physically shivered and brushed it off, knowing it would be a while before Olivia accepted the truth. “My name is Mark Beckham. I was born and raised in Mystic Falls just like your mother, Lucy. I knew her throughout high school, but she was in the popular group while I remained an outsider, someone people feared. Still, there was an undeniable chemistry between us whenever we’d get time alone, which didn’t happen often. She ended up marrying Blake Sommers, who she dated throughout high school all four years and beat the hell out of her. You think I’m a monster and I understand that, Olivia, but what he did to Lucy and how he treated her broke my heart. Now you’re probably thinking I don’t have a heart and you couldn’t be more wrong, my Oli. I did have a heart…until Lucy smashed it to pieces when she chose Blake over me.”

Oli…that’s what her adoptive mother had called her throughout her childhood and Olivia blinked as huge tears slid down her face, immediately lowering her head. This was all very fresh and new, including her parents’ death along with her newfound nephew’s. Hearing the brief past about her mother opened up emotions Olivia didn’t know she had and most of it was anger.

Anger that she’d been sent with a family that wasn’t biologically hers. Anger that her mother had been so ashamed to have a child with a man who wasn’t her husband. Anger that she currently sat across from the very man who had singlehandedly destroyed her family. Anger that he’d hurt her sister and taken Olivia away from the only man she ever truly loved and would more than likely never see him again.

“How did you and Lucy meet?” Olivia asked in a bone-chilling calm voice, taking another swig of her Tequila to calm down. “How did you take a woman’s virtues and completely destroy them?” According to Jenna, Lucille had been very respected throughout Mystic Falls, which made her safely assume her mother did have a brain.

“Blake was always away on business and left his precious gem of a wife at home all alone. He would impregnate her and then vanish for months on end, forcing her to go through her pregnancies alone. She sat in a park one day and it was pouring rain. She didn’t have an umbrella or anything and she’d been about…six months pregnant I’d say with your deceased sister, Miranda. I’d been taking a stroll when it started down pouring and had been on my way home when I spotted her.” Mark cleared his throat and stood up, draining the rest of his brandy before refilling the tumbler, staring into the fire. “She looked so sad and alone. She was such a beautiful woman with a strong spirit and Blake had crushed it into dust over the years. I couldn’t leave her there, so I walked over and sat beside her on the bench. She didn’t move or speak, just kept staring straight ahead crying in the rain. I remember taking her ice cold hand in mine and tried warming it up. When she looked up at me with those heartbroken dead brown eyes, I knew I had to rekindle that spark and fire back in them. I picked her up in my arms and took her back to my place to warm her up because I didn’t know if Blake was out of town again or not.”

“You loved her didn’t you?” Olivia looked up from staring at her tumbler and locked her gaze on Mark from across the room, suddenly understanding. “You loved her throughout high school and you could never be with her because of Blake. She loved Blake more than you.”

“No she didn’t.” Mark shot back, squeezing his tumbler to the point where it shattered in his hand and could already feel the lacerations on his hand close up. “She loved me, but she was terrified of leaving Blake. He wasn’t a good man, Olivia. He abused and neglected her for years while I continuously pieced her back together. Nobody knew about us because it was Lucy’s wish and I couldn’t deny her anything. My love for her blinded me and turned me into a sniveling love-struck idiot. When I found out she was pregnant with baby number two, which was Jenna, I stuck by her side once again while Blake was gone. It became my life’s mission to make her happy, to fulfill the huge gape Blake left in her life and I didn’t realize what she was doing to me. When Jenna was born, Blake was there for the delivery just like he’d been with Miranda, but he didn’t bother helping tend to the girls. I did. It was two months after Jenna’s birth that I finally gave Lucy an ultimatum and begged her to run away with me. I told her she had to choose between me and Blake. She said she would think about it, so we slept together one last time and I left. I waited three straight days and nights for her phone call to let me know if we were going to run off, but nothing came. So I went over to her house that night to confront her. There was a tree on the side of the house that I always climbed up to get to the bedroom because she didn’t want me using the front door since our affair was kept secret. So I climbed it and discovered the reason why she hadn’t called me back.”

Olivia swallowed hard, almost afraid to hear what he would say next and couldn’t believe her mother would use someone like this. “She chose Blake.” She whispered, already knowing what Mark had witnessed that night and shut her eyes tightly simultaneously with him.

“She was bent over the bed like a bitch in heat and let that bastard take her every which way. Lucy destroyed me that night and I left Mystic Falls, vowing to get revenge anyway I could on her.” Mark slowly looked away from the fire and back at his daughter, walking toward her. “Oli, that was also the same night I became what I am.”

Her head snapped up when she heard that and jumped slightly at how close Mark was, her breathing turning labored. “I-I don’t understand…what you are…?” Olivia’s eyes shot open as she watched the veins popped one by one on Mark’s face, his scleras turning blood red and flashed his fangs, effectively answering her question. “Oh my god…”

“I hated myself at first for becoming what I’d been raised to hate my entire life through the Mystic Falls council, but the sheer power was exhilarating and still is. Vampirism is amazing and better than any drug on the planet.” Mark admitted, reaching out to run a finger gently down her cheek and smiled coldly.

“Y-You said you wanted to get revenge on Lucille for what she did to you.” Olivia had to get his mind back on the subject, scooting further back in the chair and wished there was a huge hole she could hide in. He was way too close to her for comfort. “What did you mean by that?”

Mark refused to move from where he was, which was on his knees in front of Olivia, blocking any chance of escape for her if she tried. “It took me a long time to get over what Lucy did to me and I stayed away from Mystic Falls because of my magnified emotions. I knew if I stepped foot in the town, I would kill her, no questions asked. I heard through the grapevine that she ended up pregnant with baby number three, but I thought it was Blake’s. It wasn’t until the night of her death that I found out differently.”

“Y-You saw her on her deathbed?” Olivia stammered, terrified beyond word by now and watched as he slowly nodded. “W-What did she say?”

“She told me she regretted choosing Blake over me and she’d kept a deep dark secret hidden from me for years. It also didn’t help that I vanished from Mystic Falls without a trace and apparently it nearly destroyed her. She told me that she gave her third child away through adoption because it was mine and she couldn’t let Blake find out about our time together.” Mark closed his eyes painfully, remembering those harsh words and gritted his teeth, reigning in his temper. “I didn’t kill her, if that’s what you’re wondering. She was already dying and cancer patients have the worst blood.”

Olivia felt ill and didn’t want to hear anymore, the tears streaming down her face by now. “You’re a monster.” She whispered, shaking from head to toe and didn’t care what happened to her anymore. “You don’t care about anything or anyone except yourself. You wanted what you couldn’t have and your ego got wounded because she chose her husband over you. She made a decision like you wanted and you couldn’t handle it. I’m ashamed to have your blood running through my veins and if you want to kill me for hearing the harsh truth, then so be it. But you sitting there talking about cancer patients like they’re nothing is sickening and I hate you for giving me life.”

Those words did sting, but Mark didn’t show it, slowly rising to his feet towering over her. “Then you’re really going to hate me for what I’m about to tell you next.” Placing both of his hands on the arms of the chair, Mark leaned in until Olivia couldn’t look away from him, that same cold smile on his lips. “I’m the one who set fire to your precious childhood home along with Jenna’s and killed your precious so-called parents. And now, I’m about to do the same to you.”

Before Olivia could make a move or respond, Mark grabbed her head and snapped it to the side, breaking her neck. The more he thought about going through with the final phase of his plan, the more Mark reconsidered. Olivia wasn’t vampire material anyway and he honestly didn’t need his daughter reminding him of the mistake he’d made with Lucille all those years ago. She was better off dead just like the rest of her family tree.

“Goodbye my daughter.”

~!~

Damon had gotten the call from Stefan letting him know they freed Simone and she’d given them the address to Olivia’s childhood home. Stefan was on his way to Atlanta with Simone, Tyler, Caroline and Aaron so they would have more than enough backup. Bonnie refused to have anything to do with it and Matt stayed behind with her like any good boyfriend would do. They arrived at Olivia’s childhood home, which was nothing more than rubble and in shambles.

“Damon, someone’s over there!!” Elena shouted, pointing and jumped out of the car as soon as Damon cut the ignition, shoving the seat forward Alaric was in.

Alaric blinked and groaned, having hit his head on the dashboard lightly. “Damn, she’s stronger than she lets on.” It also helped that he’d trained her to defend herself against vampires.

Simply nodding, Damon jumped out and followed Elena, not surprised by her impulsivity. “Elena, I don’t think…”

“JEREMY!!!” Elena shrieked out as soon as she got close enough to the body to identify who it was. “No – NO, NO, NO!!! You can’t be dead!! Wake up!! Wake up, Jeremy, please!!” She dropped to her knees and began hitting him with her fists, tears streaming down her face.

Damon flew over and pulled her away from him, letting her hit him instead until all the strength was out of her system. Crumbling against him, Elena buried her face in his chest and Damon wrapped his arms around her, looking over at Alaric worriedly. He couldn’t believe Jeremy was actually dead. Where the hell was Olivia? Was she dead too?

A huge gasp of air filled the air moments later as Elena whipped around with wide tear-filled eyes, watching as Jeremy began wiggling his fingers. “Jeremy?” She broke away from Damon and immediately went back to her brother’s side, helping him slowly sit up as another groan came from him.

“Why the hell does it feel like my chest is caved in?” He grunted out, rubbing his chest and bit back another groan of pain as Elena tossed her arms around him.

“Thank god.” Alaric breathed out, looking down at Jeremy’s hand and saw the Gilbert ring secure on his finger. “Thought we lost you there for a minute, Jer.”

“Nah, it’ll take a lot more than a vampire to take me out.” Jeremy half-joked, slowly standing up with Elena and Alaric’s help, still feeling a little dizzy. “Teresa’s dead. I killed her.”

Elena nodded solemnly, deciding immediately they would not be telling Aaron the truth about what happened to his wife. “Where are Olivia and Jenna?” She asked, heading back to the car while Damon surveyed the corpse of Teresa.

“I don’t know, but more than likely she was taken by this huge vampire. I didn’t catch his name though and Teresa seemed to be drawn to him like a magnet. Damn, my neck hurts.” He tried rubbing the soreness out of it and leaned against the car, thankful that his sister was still safe.

“They couldn’t have gone far. This guy sounded like he had something major planned for Olivia and he wasn’t patient about it either. Wherever he’s hiding out, that’s where we’ll find Olivia and Jenna.” Alaric stated confidently, pulling out a map from his coat pocket and unfolded it on Damon’s hood, starting to look at all the possible roads that were close-by.

“No need for that.” Damon said from behind and waved Teresa’s cell phone at them, tossing it at Alaric. “I know exactly where they are, but we don’t have much time. I texted Stefan and the others, they’ll meet us at the place.”

Hopping back into the Camaro, everyone could only hope that Jenna and Olivia were still alive when they had the final showdown with Mark Beckham.

Chapter 38

From the second Simone was rescued, all she could think about was Olivia.

Tyler wouldn’t leave her alone, sticking to her side like glue and refused to let go of her hand. Their fingers were tightly entwined while he wiped blood off of her face and mouth with his free one. He didn’t want Simone lifting a single finger, giving her several cursory once overs to make sure she really was alright.

He could smell the wolfsbane on her breath and knew Aaron had shoved it down her throat, which he would pay for. Aaron Green wasn’t getting away with what he did to Simone, not a chance in hell. Of course, Tyler would wait until Olivia, Jenna and Jeremy were saved before exacting his revenge.

It was weird being on the same side as her kidnapper, but once Stefan explained the whole situation to her, Simone wasn’t so resentful. She was still pissed at how everything went down, especially being tortured with wolfsbane, but she did understand why Aaron did all of it. Not only was he a vampire and had a natural born instinct to hate werewolves, but he did it to protect his loved one.

It was hard hating the man, vampire or not, after hearing his story.

“What’s on your mind?” Tyler asked quietly, sitting in the backseat while Caroline was in the front passenger and Stefan drove.

They currently followed Aaron in his own vehicle, which was Stefan’s idea because he was afraid Tyler would lash out and destroy Simone’s abductor. Everyone voted on it and it’d been unanimous. Tyler wasn’t thrilled about it, but one pleading look from Simone and he turned to complete mush. That was the only reason why he agreed to let the bloodsucker drive to Atlanta by himself.

“So much.” Simone lowered her eyes from his, the guilt and shame crashing over her once again. “It’s my fault Olivia and Jeremy are in danger right now. If I didn’t leave the mansion, she’d still be with us and Jeremy wouldn’t have nearly died by having his neck snapped. Thank god it was a supernatural death or else he wouldn’t still be breathing.”

“I know, baby, but you can’t blame yourself for everything Olivia does.” Tyler held his hand up before Simone could argue, a soft smile curving his lips. “Let me finish and then you can say whatever you want. I know she’s your best friend and you were sworn to protect her, but she is an adult capable of making her OWN decisions. Look at her and Damon. You did everything in your power to try to split them up and nothing worked because she refused to let other people tell her what to do. Granted, I personally think she’s insane for wanting to be with a bloodsucker, but that’s my opinion and I’m entitled to it.”

“I don’t like it either. He hurt her once and I can’t forget about it. I still can’t believe she forgave him for nearly killing her. He crushed her throat to the point where, if it wasn’t for Bonnie’s witchcraft, she would be dead right now.” Simone couldn’t wrap her mind around it, even though she had told Olivia she understood her love for Damon Salvatore. “But then again, I have never seen her so happy. He makes her happy and that’s all that should matter. Even though I morph into a big fur ball every full moon, I can’t blind myself to the truth. She loves him as much as I love you, Tyler. If someone tried taking you away from me, I would tear their throat out without blinking. We need to stop being judgmental of vampires because not all of them are bad. Stefan and Caroline are proof of that. Hell, even YOU’RE proof of that being a hybrid and all.”

Tyler had explained everything to Simone and swore her to secrecy because not everyone knew what he truly was. Just the handful of people they hung around with and Tyler was fine with that. Simone hadn’t told Olivia about Tyler yet because of everything else happening around them. There was no time to just sit down and explain to her that Tyler Lockwood was a vampire/werewolf hybrid. As much as Tyler hated vampires, he couldn’t deny that he was partially one and had eventually come to terms with it.

Both Stefan and Caroline rolled their eyes simultaneously, not responding to Tyler’s remark about their kind. “So, where exactly did Damon say we were going?” Caroline asked, looking at Stefan questioningly. “I know it’s in Atlanta, but that’s a huge city and I never pegged Olivia of all people to be a city girl.”

“She’s not.” Simone grunted, still healing from her injuries and leaned against Tyler, soaking in his warmth. “We lived on the outskirts of Atlanta in the country.”

“Oh.”

“Does anyone know the person who took her?” Caroline pressed, wanting to know what exactly they were walking into and saw Stefan’s hands tighten on the steering wheel. “I know you’re worried about Elena, but Damon won’t let anything happen to her.”

“How can you be sure?” Stefan asked, trying to keep the doubt out of his tone, but it wasn’t easy.

“Because Damon was in love with Elena at one point.” Caroline knew that probably wasn’t the best thing to say considering Stefan’s rocky past with Damon. She didn’t know how else to convince Stefan that Elena was perfectly safe with Damon. “Not to mention Ric is with them. You know he won’t let anything happen to Elena.”

Stefan couldn’t argue with that and patted Caroline’s hand gently, cracking a small smile. “Thanks Caroline, I appreciate everything you do.” She really did remind him so much of Lexi, it was scary at times.

He fully believed that somehow, someway Lexi had sent Caroline to him. Though it’d been Katherine who turned Caroline into a vampire, not Lexi, but that didn’t change Stefan’s friendship with Caroline. Nobody could replace Lexi in his mind and heart, but she wasn’t alive anymore, so Caroline was his new best friend.

“Anytime.” Caroline winked, squeezing his hand briefly and released it, turning her gaze to stare back out the window.

Both Tyler and Simone exchanged looks, however they were completely different. “They have a brother and sister relationship.” He spoke right in her ear, running his hand up and down her leg in a gentle loving caress. “He had an old friend by the name of Lexi and Caroline reminds him of her.”

“What happened to her?” The question left her mouth before Simone could stop it, her curiosity winning out.

“Damon killed her. When the council found out that vampires had returned to Mystic Falls, things got a little…hairy.” He smirked at the irony of that word and continued his administrations on Simone’s leg. “They started hunting for them and almost caught the Salvatore’s, but Damon was one step ahead of them. He compelled a girl to point out Lexi during one of the grill’s parties that Caroline threw and she was injected with vervain in front of everyone. When she tried escaping, Damon ended up staking her and posed as a vampire hunter, of sorts.”

Simone covered her mouth in shock, jade eyes wide in horror. “He…killed one of his own kind?” That was possibly the worst thing Simone ever heard and it made her hate Damon Salvatore that much more. “He’s such a dick.”

“I agree, but…Lexi didn’t die in vain because his plan worked. The council stopped hunting them because Damon convinced the sheriff the vampires were taken care of. It didn’t last because now Sheriff Forbes knows who and what we all are, but because her daughter is a vampire, she keeps it under wraps.” Tyler explained softly and caught Stefan staring back at them through the rearview mirror, hoping he didn’t mind the brief history lesson, clearing his throat. “Anyway, new topic.”

Caroline had also heard every word and agreed with Tyler for the most part, also having a hard time getting along with Damon Salvatore. Her reasons were legitimate though because he had used her from the moment he arrived in Mystic Falls because she was a Founding Family member. His actions didn’t go without punishment because, shortly after Caroline was turned into a vampire, she showed Damon just how much strength she had and beat the hell out of him.

The rest of the drive was made in silence, everyone on edge and tense, especially Simone. The eight hours were grueling, but luckily all the wolfsbane flushed out of her system and she had regained her strength. Stefan spotted Damon’s blue Camaro and pulled over on the side of the dark country road, cutting the lights and ignition.

“Stefan.” Elena didn’t waste a second and ran toward him just as he stepped out of the car, jumping into his open arms. “Thank goodness you made it.” Her deep brown eyes moved to Simone as Stefan lowered her to the ground and pulled her into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay, Simone.”

Simone hadn’t expected this and awkwardly patted Elena’s back, plastering on a phony smile. “No harm done, I’ve had worse done to me honestly.” She pulled back just as Aaron approached all of them, avoiding eye contact with him and Damon at all costs. “So, enough stalling, what’s the plan and where is Olivia?”

“Down the road a ways, we’ll all have to travel on foot from here since we’re sneaking in.” Damon’s eyes landed on Aaron and immediately closed the distance between them, eyeballing him shrewdly. “Nice to see you kept your word. Smart choice, boy. Have you been here before?”

“Once.” Aaron remembered it vaguely, his memory still somewhat blurred, but he did recall being on this road before. “He brought us here shortly after we were turned to help us with our craving problem. He locked us up in the basement, chained us to the walls and refused to give us anything until we could control our thirst for human blood. It wasn’t even a month ago.”

“Time out, what the hell is this guy’s name?” Simone demanded, folding her arms in front of her chest. “You keep saying he, but I want a name and I want it now.”

“Mark.” Aaron immediately obliged, gritting his teeth because the name left a sour taste in his mouth. “Mark Beckham.” His eyes landed on a younger man that was built and had a deadly look in his eyes. “You must be Jeremy.”

Damon seared that name into his memory and would never forget it, not even in his afterlife. “Enough chit-chat, they’ve waited long enough for us.” If they were still breathing, which was a bigger possibility than Damon liked. “Ric, give them the weapons.”

“On it.”

Alaric was more than ready to end this, handing each person, vampire and werewolf a vervain and wolfsbane bomb along with self-made contraptions that shot wooden stakes at a fast velocity. They strapped to bare arms under clothing so they were hidden away and they had the element of surprise on their side. He trained both Jeremy and Elena in the arts of vampire hunting, though Alaric also added defensive fighting against werewolves. He didn’t take any chances when it came to supernatural beings and looked over at Jeremy, more than thankful he was still alive because of a magical ring.

“You ready for this, Jer?” Alaric asked quietly as everyone suited up, having a few other weapons in hand for backup and began heading down the road on foot. “You can stay behind…”

“I’m fine.” Jeremy cut him off instantly, flat out refusing to stay behind while everyone else got a piece of this dick that took his family hostage.

Elena had the same concern as Alaric, but she knew better than to try forcing Jeremy to stay behind. He obviously knew what he was doing, especially since he’d staked Teresa in order to protect Olivia. Jeremy had told them everything as soon as he’d gotten some food and caffeine into his system. With how close she was to losing Jeremy, there was no way he was leaving her sight, which is another reason why Elena kept her mouth shut about him tagging along.

Damon lead everyone down the road with Stefan, both brothers looking determined and deadly. Caroline walked alongside Elena while Tyler stuck to Simone and Aaron stayed behind the brothers. Alaric and Jeremy were in the back, talking quietly among themselves about strategy. Caroline asked Elena’s opinion of Aaron and wondered if there was a future for them. It wasn’t that they didn’t care about Olivia and Jenna, but if they kept dwelling on all the possibilities of what could be happening to them, everyone would go crazy.

Tyler kept his eyes locked on Aaron, already having the perfect plan to execute him once they arrived at their destination. His mouth watered with anticipation, every part of his body feeling as though it was engulfed in flames. If any of the bloodsuckers tried stopping him from exacting revenge, he would take them down along with Aaron. He didn’t care if Simone didn’t want revenge, it was going to happen either way and nobody would stop him.

Before long, a dark Victorian style house came into everyone’s view and they stopped in their tracks. It was at least four stories high and huge. This wasn’t going to be as easy as everyone thought, everyone already assessing the amount of space they’d have to cover. They would have to split up if there was a chance to get Olivia and Jenna out safely.

“Jeremy, come here.” Damon ordered, gesturing the young man forward and placed his hand on the back of Jeremy’s neck gently. “I need you to stay out here and keep an eye on things. You and Elena both. You don’t need to go in here and get yourselves killed. We will get Olivia and Jenna out, I promise, but someone has to stay out here and it’s you and your sister. Do we understand each other?”

Not liking this sudden turn of events, Jeremy nodded tensely and looked over his shoulder at Elena, knowing she wouldn’t like this either. “Got it.” He whispered, feeling Damon pat his back and walked over to Elena to explain what they had to do.

“Vampire Barbie, you and my little brother go in through the back. She-wolf and wolf boy need to scale the tree on the far left side. Start from the top and work your way down until you find one or both of them. Ric, Aaron and myself are going to take the front entrance since he’s been here before.” Damon barked out the orders and hoped everyone just complied with them because he wasn’t in the mood for arguing. “Everyone clear on what to do?”

“So you basically want me and Jeremy to be watchdogs?” Elena snapped, pursing her lips tightly together and ignored Damon’s deadly glare. “Great, just perfect. I just- TYLER NO!!”

Time had run out for Aaron Green because Tyler couldn’t contain his anger any longer, his entire body erupting into one big ball of fur.

“Tyler!!” Simone cried out as her boyfriend phased into a wolf out of nowhere, one of the many perks to being a hybrid and targeted Aaron, tackling him to the ground.

“WHO’S OUT THERE?”

“Oh no…” Caroline groaned, knowing they had company as multiple vampires came spilling out the front of the house, heading straight for them.

The fight was officially on.

Chapter 39

Her sister was dead.

From the moment Olivia’s body was flung into Jenna’s room, she hadn’t released her. Jenna’s chains were long enough to reach her sister, so Jenna pulled her up to lay on the bed, trying to get her to wake up. Olivia’s body was cold to the touch and Jenna’s worst fear came true when she checked for a pulse, but there wasn’t one. Jenna quickly pressed her hand over where Olivia’s heart was supposed to beat with life and once again didn’t feel anything.

Currently, Jenna had Olivia’s head in her lap stroking her hair while tears streamed down her cheeks. Jenna lost so many people already in her life and regretted her attitude toward Olivia. Fighting the truth about her mother having a secret child was ridiculous and Jenna hated herself for it. Instead of embracing newfound family, Jenna delved into a world of denial and treated Olivia like trash. Miranda was probably rolling around in her grave right now because of Jenna’s cold attitude toward what was left of their abused family.

“I’m so sorry, Olivia…” Jenna sobbed openly, burying her face in Olivia’s hair and held her close, sniffling. “I was wrong to call you a liar. I just didn’t know how to deal with the fact our Mom cheated on my Dad. I thought they were in love and completely devoted to each other. You didn’t do anything wrong and I took all of my anger out on you. I just wish there was some way I knew you could hear what I’m saying…”

Sobbing once again filled the room as Jenna mourned the death of her sister, her heart shattering repeatedly. It didn’t matter what happened to her because at least she was still alive. Completely drained physically, emotionally and mentally, Jenna slumped down on the bed still holding Olivia and closed her eyes, letting the darkness overtake her body.

Exactly one hour later, the most miraculous thing happened.

Jenna’s eyes snapped open at the sound of a sharp intake of breath and bolted upright in bed, the chains rattling against the headboard. Her breathing was labored and her hazel eyes widened at the sight of Olivia…moving! She was stirring as if she’d just been in this deep slumber! Not believing her eyes, Jenna pinched herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming and felt hot tears spill instantly, relief flooding every part of her body.

“O-Olivia?” She stammered, afraid to reach out and touch her, wondering how this was even possible.

“Jenna?” Olivia groaned out, rubbing the back of her sore neck and blinked several times, trying to get her equilibrium on track. “W-What happened?”

“I-I don’t know…” Jenna frowned, looking toward the door and swallowed hard, not hearing a single thing since the room was sound proof. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

“I was sitting in a chair and said some harsh words to Beckham…” Olivia trailed off and closed her eyes, the biggest of sigh of relief flooding out of her mouth. “It worked.”

Jenna didn’t understand and tilted her head slightly, looking extremely confused. “What are you talking about? What worked? Olivia, what’s going on?” She demanded, quirking an eyebrow and wondered if her sister had completely lost her mind. “Olivia…”

“My plan.” Olivia stood up from the bed and walked over to the door, running her fingertips over it. “I didn’t know if it would, but it did. It actually worked.” She started laughing, pure joy in her tone and that just perplexed Jenna more.

“Olivia, I’ve been put through the ringer, can you please stop beating around the bush and just tell me how your ‘plan’ worked?” Jenna did the quotation marks with her fingers, her voice full of sarcasm and chewed her bottom lip when Olivia snapped her head back to stare at her.

Olivia wasn’t sure if that was the best idea considering what her plan consisted of. She had to tell her. Jenna was the key to finish her plan off and Olivia could only hope she obliged. There was no other way, time wasn’t on their side and she knew Mark would be back for her body soon. He just wanted to show Jenna her dead sister’s body to scare her more and that angered Olivia more.

“Jenna…”

“Wait a minute…” The realization began crashing over Jenna as she looked back at Olivia and knew every current thought she had was right on the money. “No…it can’t be…”

Sighing, Olivia knew Jenna had pieced together her plan and slowly walked toward her, a soft smile spreading across her lips. “Relax sister, I’m not going to hurt you. I could never hurt my family, but you have to listen to me. I had to do it because I knew he would try killing me. He was either going to kill me or turn me himself and I wasn’t going to let that happen.” She took Jenna’s hands in her own, squeezing them and tried convincing her she was safe. “I had to do it.”

“But…That means you’re in…and you need…” Jenna couldn’t get a full sentence out and blinked as more tears fell, returning Olivia’s gentle squeeze. “How in the hell did you get vampire blood in your system?”

“Meredith Fell gave me a vial of Damon’s blood that she siphoned off of him.” Olivia admitted softly, trying to focus on what she was talking about instead of Jenna’s pulse thudding, calling out to her. “I met her at the grill and Alaric introduced me to her actually. Then I overheard her telling Alaric she had to make another appointment with Damon for more blood. So I stopped her outside of the grill and asked her if I could have a vial of it for emergencies. She agreed surprisingly and made me promise to keep it a secret. I drank it before coming here to hand myself over, just in case.”

“So that means you’re…you’re in transition and you need…human blood…” Jenna swallowed hard when Olivia nodded and pulled her hands away instinctively, completely terrified by now. “Olivia, I can’t believe you did this…”

Honestly, Olivia was more worried about the blood leaving her system by the time daddy dearest got around to killing her. Now that she was in transition, Olivia had to complete it or else she would really die. If Jenna didn’t want to give up her blood, then Olivia had to find another source or else she would never see Damon again. That couldn’t happen!

“It would’ve happened eventually, Jenna.” Olivia reasoned calmly, trying to find a way out of this room as she began feeling her hand against the walls.

“Why do you say that?”

“Because I’m in love with a vampire. I’m in love with Damon Salvatore and I want to spend the rest of eternity with him. I don’t want to turn into a decrepit old hag while he stays the same age and an eternal stud. I want to explore the world and see everything life has to offer with him. So when I say that it would’ve happened eventually, that’s exactly what I…mean…” Olivia’s words died on her lips when she found something on the wall and looked back at Jenna.

Through the darkness, Jenna could tell that Olivia had found something and yanked on her chains in frustration. “What is it? What did you find?” She asked anxiously, her stomach twisting in knots since she hadn’t ate in what felt like days. “Olivia?”

Not answering her sister at first, Olivia took a deep breath and pressed the small button her hand came across. Both girls jumped and Olivia stumbled back as the wall suddenly rumbled to life and slid to the side, locking into place moments later. Olivia couldn’t believe it and looked back at Jenna, seeing sheer relief flood across her face, but there was also sadness in her eyes.

Even though they found a way out, there was no way for Jenna to go with Olivia because of her chains and she knew it. “Go Olivia, go get help and come back for me.” She whispered, all the hope she momentarily felt draining and replaced with despair.

“No.” Olivia stalked over to Jenna and took her chains, trying to break them, but she didn’t have the full power of a vampire yet. She was still in transition and until she had human blood, there was no way she could break these chains. “Jenna, you have to let me drink from you.”

“W-WHAT?!” Jenna ripped away from her and shook her head violently, swallowing hard. “No, have you lost your mind? You’ll kill me, you’ll lose control!! If I’m going to die, it’s not going to be because I became a vampire’s meal!”

Olivia understood her apprehension and sat down on the bed, taking a deep breath. “Jenna, I could’ve killed you at any time since I woke up and I didn’t. I’ve smelled your blood and the temptation has made my throat burn with need. But you’re my sister and I won’t hurt you. I swear to you I won’t lose control because I love you. You’re my only family and I’m not a murderer, I just need a few drops of your blood to complete the transition. I’ll be able to break these chains and get you out of here. Isn’t that what you want? Don’t you want to see Alaric again? Because I damn sure want to see Damon again. So please, I’m asking you to trust me just this once and believe me when I say I won’t kill you.”

How Jenna longed to be freed of these wretched chains! Her stomach growled again, begging her to eat anything for nutrients, but she couldn’t do that unless she escaped. Holding her hand up in a one second gesture to Olivia, Jenna turned and reached under her flat pillow, pulling out what looked to be a sharp metal stick. She took it in one hand and used it to slice her wrist open deep enough for a few drops of blood.

“I’m trusting you, so please don’t make me regret it.” Jenna whispered in a final plea and closed her eyes as Olivia took her wrist, trying to swallow down her panic.

“Thank you, Jenna.” Olivia inhaled and the smell of blood made her mouth water, but she had to maintain control. “You can trust me, I’ll prove it to you.”

“Just do it and get it over with so we can get the hell out of here.”

Nodding, Olivia knew better than to attach her mouth to Jenna’s wrist. She raised it up above her head and squeezed, a few droplets of her blood landing on Olivia’s tongue. Instantly, indescribable power flooded through Olivia’s body as her eyes closed, a single teardrop sliding from the corner of her eye. It was euphoric and Olivia wanted more as her eyes began to change, the scleras turning blood red as veins formed on her face. Jenna breathed a sigh of relief when Olivia released her wrist and blinked when her chains were broken moments later.

The transition was completed.

~!~

Dead bodies were strewn everywhere on the front lawn.

One by one, the servants of Mark Beckham had gone down with stakes, vervain and a few even lost their hearts. There had to be at least twenty bodies, possibly more. Elena could only watch along with Jeremy, though he had killed a few of them with his handy weapon Alaric gave him a while back. She had her own and only shot at them if they came close, sticking to Jeremy’s side.

There was only one casualty from their group and he currently lay on the ground, stiff as a board, with his head detached from the rest of his body. Tyler stood over him with blood caked on his chin, his eyes glowing gold and his nails were still somewhat out since he hadn’t fully phased back into a human. There was also blood splashed across his muscular chest and arms, his hair mussed up from the fight with Aaron. Simone knew Tyler wouldn’t hurt her and stood right in front of him, not sure what to think or do because all he did was defend her honor.

“I did what I had to do.”

However, those words sparked the anger inside of her and, a second later, Tyler was lying on the ground with a busted nose. “WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING? HAVE YOU COMPLETELY LOST YOUR MIND, TYLER? YOU JUST BLEW OUR COVER, OUR ENTIRE PLAN, ALL BECAUSE YOU WANTED REVENGE!! OLIVIA IS STILL IN THERE AND SO IS JENNA OR DID YOU FORGET THAT IN THAT PEA-SIZED BRAIN OF YOURS?” She was livid and it showed, her own eyes glowing a dangerous citrine mixed with venom green.

“He had to pay, Simone…”

“Yes I know that, you dick!! I know he had to pay for what he did to me, but that was supposed to be done AFTER MY BEST FRIEND AND JENNA WERE RESCUED!!” Simone snapped, kicking him square in his jewels when Tyler tried getting to his feet and sent him right down to the ground. “I didn’t tell you to get up, so stay your stupid ass down there until we figure out what to do next!”

Tyler currently had stars exploding behind his eyes from how much pain he was in, not believing how hard Simone could kick. That hurt BADLY. He knew he deserved it because he had jumped the gun and let his anger control his actions. Luckily, nobody else had gotten hurt, which was something he hadn’t considered either because not everyone had supernatural abilities.

“Simone, I’m sorry…”

“Shut up. Just shut your damn mouth before I close it PERMANENTLY.” She ordered gravely, stalking away from him and looked over at Damon, who had blood smeared across his face. “Damon…”

“Not now.” He held his hand up, stopping Simone from speaking and looked toward the front entrance as another vampire stepped out on the front porch.

This had to be the infamous Mark Beckham.

“If either of you make a move to kill me, it will truly be the biggest mistake of your life.” Mark announced, slowly moving down the steps with a smirk on his face, rubbing his hands together. “I suppose you’re here to rescue precious Jenna and my daughter, yes?”

Damon froze when he heard that, along with Simone, both of them sharing quick glances with each other. “What are you talking about? How the hell can you be Olivia’s father?” He demanded, taking a step toward the vampire that was responsible for all the destruction that surrounded them.

“Good question and one I will answer, once I’ve taken out the trash.” Mark replied and flashed over to where Simone was, wrapping one arm around her throat squeezing as hard as he could. “I should’ve taken care of you myself. I knew those pathetic humans weren't worthy of all the power I gave them.”

Simone struggled against him, but he was far too strong for her and he currently cut off her oxygen. Tyler was on his feet instantly and went to save Simone, but Stefan tackled him to the ground. He injected wolfsbane into Tyler’s neck, which temporarily subdued him. To be on the safe side, he also injected a dose of vervain and looked up at Caroline, silently telling her to watch over him while they dealt with Mark Beckham.

Before anyone could make a move, Mark was suddenly tackled from behind and his release on Simone broke, sending her flying to the ground. “GET THE HELL OFF MY SISTER, YOU BASTARD!!” Olivia roared, her fangs out and took advantage of a very shocked Mark Beckham.

“How-How are you…?”

“Alive? Thanks for snapping my neck, daddy dearest, you did me a huge favor and gave me what I wanted. Much appreciated.” Olivia smiled coldly and plunged a wooden stake right in her father’s heart, having snatched it from one of his henchmen on the way out of the house. “That’s for my family.”

She watched as he desiccated, turning an ugly lime green as Mark took his final breaths, but it wasn’t good enough. Digging her hand into his black hair, Olivia tore his head clean off his shoulders, making sure he was fully dead. Olivia tossed it to the side in disgust and stood up, finally turning around to face everyone who could only gape at her in return.

Chapter 40

“L-Livi??” Simone stammered out after regaining her breath, slowly rising to her feet with Tyler’s help, not taking her eyes off of Olivia.

Olivia nodded, wiping Mark’s blood on her skinny blue jeans and cracked a hesitant smile. “Yeah it’s me, Sim.” She knew Simone was born and bred to hate vampires, so Olivia was prepared for anything, not moving an inch.

Simone broke away from Tyler and stumbled over to Olivia, tears stinging the back of her eyes. She didn’t know what to think about this. Her best friend, the woman she had grown up with most of her life, was now the very thing Simone was supposed to hate and destroy. Standing right in front of Olivia, Simone stared deep in those familiar amber eyes and saw that her best friend still existed, putting everything into perspective.

Everyone gaped again when Simone suddenly pulled Olivia into a tight embrace, tossing her arms around Olivia’s shoulders and held her as close as she could, crying openly. Olivia did not expect Simone to show her an ounce of affection and felt the tears pour down her face, returning the embrace just as tight. It didn’t matter if Olivia was a vampire, that didn’t change the sisterly love and strong bond they had.

“I thought you’d hate me for this.” Olivia whispered, slowly pulling back to wipe Simone’s tears away with her thumbs, both of them beginning to laugh.

“Are you kidding woman? Nothing, not even becoming a vampire, is going to wreck our friendship and you should know that. I’m just so glad you’re safe and alive because I really thought we’d be too late.” Simone wiped Olivia’s tears away as well, both of them having a moment since it seemed like ages since they last saw each other. “Now what the hell were you thinking taking off like that? You could’ve been killed!”

Olivia chuckled, expecting Simone to berate her to hell and back for the stunt she pulled with Jeremy and took it with a smile on her face. “I was thinking that I was sick and tired of being kept locked up at the mansion and not doing anything to help find Jenna. I was thinking that if this dick wanted me badly enough to where he’d hurt one of my family members, then I wanted to deal with him personally and I did.” Glancing over her shoulder at the decimated, headless corpse of Mark, Olivia couldn’t stop a wicked smirk crossing her lips.

“You’re such a bitch for running off without me. Don’t ever do that again or I’ll kick your ass.” Simone smirked, hugging her again and finally turned to face everyone. “Where is Jenna anyway?”

“I’m right here.”

Alaric heard that angelic voice and immediately whipped around, rushing to her side. “Oh thank god! Jenna!” He could clearly see she wasn’t in good shape and gingerly pulled her into his arms, feeling her face bury in his chest. “It’s over, Jenna. It’s all over sweetheart.”

“I know…” Jenna sobbed and slowly looked up into Alaric’s eyes, accepting a soft kiss from him. “I-I have to go thank her. Without her, I would’ve died in there…”

Alaric nodded, knowing who Jenna was talking about and guided her over to where Olivia stood with Simone, the biggest smile on his face. “Olivia, I…” He blinked when she held her hand up and simply pulled Jenna into a hug, being careful not to hurt her.

“She’s my family, Alaric. There’s no thanks necessary.”

“I-I don’t need a blood test, Olivia.” Jenna pulled back, taking Olivia’s hands in hers and smiled through all the pain she was in currently. “You’re my sister and I owe you everything for saving my life.”

“Even though I’m a vampire now?” Olivia had to ask, her voice quiet and low, feeling Jenna squeeze her hands again.

“That doesn’t matter to me.” Jenna assured her, smoothing her hair out a little and kissed her forehead softly. “Now go to him. He’s waiting for you.”

Olivia beamed brightly, watching Jenna embrace Elena and Jeremy, the rest of the family and felt her heart warm instantly. “I hope you didn’t forget about me.” His low husky voice murmured in her ear and Olivia’s entire body flooded with warmth.

“Of course I didn’t.” Olivia said, slowly turning around until those beautiful aquamarine eyes enveloped her, her smile growing until she felt as though her face would split open. “I could never forget about you, Damon.”

Vampirism definitely agreed with Olivia Jackson, it was the perfect fit like a glove. Her auburn hair was shinier, her amber eyes a deeper gold and her paler complexion went beautifully with both attributes. Not to mention, Damon found it incredibly sexy when she tore off Mark Beckham’s head without blinking. He could feel newfound strength within her and noticed a fiery spirit in her eyes that could not be extinguished.

“Good answer.” He growled, yanking her roughly into his arms and ran his hands down her curvaceous sides, loving every part of her body. “We need to talk about a few things, but there’s something I need to do first.” When Olivia quirked an eyebrow, Damon smirked and lowered his head, capturing her lips in an explosive passionate kiss that made her toes curl.

Olivia agreed that they did have a lot to talk about, but right now all she wanted to do was tear into Damon. Talking could be done later; she hadn’t seen or been with him in what felt like months. She felt Damon lift her up by her rear and wrapped her legs around his muscular waist, their kiss never breaking. There was no way she could wait until they arrived back in Virginia and hoped Damon agreed to stay the night in a hotel nearby.

“I love you.” Damon rumbled, breaking the kiss and stared into her amber eyes, not letting her go. “I know I didn’t say it before and it’s not because I thought I might not see you again. And I’ve tried fighting it off and figured we were just having a fling, but I was wrong. I’m in love with you, Liva. I’ve been in love with you since the first night we met at the grill and I didn’t want to acknowledge it. I never thought I’d meet a woman who could accept me for who I am and put up with all of my garbage, but you do. You do it all. So you’re stuck with me for the rest of eternity or however long we’re alive.”

His words touched her deeply because Olivia had only dreamt of the day Damon said that small phrase to her that meant everything. “I love you too, Damon. I never want you to change who you are. Nobody should do that and I’m glad you feel the same about me. I was starting to wonder if we were just strictly sex or if there was something more.” She admitted, running her fingers through his thick black hair and kissed him again. “There’s a hotel about twenty minutes away from here and they know me because of my family. How about we get a suite and make up for lost time?”

Damon growled, burying his face in her neck and inhaled her intoxicating scent, which was stronger now that she was a vampire. “Mmm can’t wait until we’re back home?” He asked, smirking as she shook her head and began kissing her ear. “Hmm…the offer is tempting, I admit…”

“Please Damon, I need you. I’ve missed you so much.” Olivia breathed out, melting against him as he continued assaulting her ear, one of her weak spots. “Don’t torture me.”

In Damon’s mind, however, Olivia did deserve to be tortured because of the stunt she pulled. “I’ll take you to heights of pleasure only we can reach,” He paused briefly, his mouth hovering over her ear and felt her physically shiver against him. “AFTER we have a discussion about the stunt you pulled.”

Olivia blinked as Damon set her down on the grass and folded his arms in front of his chest, a very stern expression on his face. “But…” She growled when he held his hand up, cutting her off. “That’s not fair!”

“Get in the car, Liva, before I chase you down.” Damon ordered, watching her start stalking away and flashed over to her, grabbing her upper arm. “Not so fast, my lovely.”

“You’re not being fair.” Olivia pouted, clearly not happy and grunted as Damon tossed her over his shoulder, trekking her to his Camaro. “Damon, I can walk ya know.”

Damon didn’t bother retorting and opened the passenger door, setting her inside. “Do I have to buckle you up?” He demanded, flashing over to his side and slid behind the wheel, firing up the ignition.

“Wait a minute, how is everyone else getting back to Mystic Falls?” Olivia asked, looking behind her and saw them start heading toward the cars, hoping Alaric took Jenna to the hospital to get checked out.

“Relax, they’re taking Aaron’s car back. I took care of it.” Besides, he wanted this drive to be private because he wanted to hear everything that happened after Olivia ran off with Jeremy.

“Why can’t we just get a hotel room somewhere?” Olivia huffed, pursing her lips tightly together and rolled her eyes when Damon merely shrugged, punching him in the shoulder. “Not funny, dick. You’re being cruel.”

“Oh and you weren’t when you decided to take off and handed yourself over to a lunatic vampire?” Damon retorted swiftly, leaning back against the seat and tossed her a blood bag since she was more than likely starving. “Speaking of that, how the hell did you become a vampire anyway?”

This was definitely a subject Olivia didn’t want to talk about because she had gone behind Damon’s back and chewed her bottom lip nervously. “I got it from Meredith Fell.” She finally admitted, keeping her eyes glued to the clasped hands in her lap and felt Damon suck in a sharp breath. “Do you remember that day I left the mansion for a while to clear my head? It was right after Jenna came to stay at the mansion with us because of her house catching on fire.”

Damon nodded, remembering that vividly. “Yes because I tried convincing you to stay in bed with me and you refused.” It was the first time Olivia denied him sex and, unbeknownst to her, opened his eyes to the truth about his feelings for her. “Where did you meet her?” To his knowledge, Meredith Fell had never been introduced to Olivia.

“The grill. I walked in to get something to drink and she was there with Alaric. He called me over, introduced me to Meredith and I ended up having a drink with them. To make a long story short, I ended up eavesdropping on their conversation and they mentioned your name. So after Alaric left, I followed Meredith into the bathroom and demanded to know what kind of appointment she wanted to make with you. Then she told me about your blood donation.” Olivia could feel the tension rise in the car and didn’t dare look up at Damon, afraid of what she might see.

“Go on.”

“I asked her if I could get a vial of your blood from her for emergencies. She knew about my throat being crushed by you because she asked me how I could be with someone like that. I simply told her I loved you and forgave you for doing it. I think she believed me because she handed a vial over and promised me never to mention it happening.” She explained, looking out the window at the pure darkness and knew the sun would be up soon, which meant they wouldn’t make it to Mystic Falls unless Damon wanted Olivia to burn to death.

Damon realized that too, but they had a few hours of night left before he had to find Olivia shelter and continued with the questions. “When did you take the vial?” He was thankful it’d been his blood instead of Mark’s, but upset that Olivia had kept this from him.

“Right before I left with Jeremy to come out here.” Olivia shut her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself, trying to control her emotions. “And I’m not sorry I did it either, Damon. If you would’ve known I had a vial of your blood, you would’ve taken it from me. I took a risk and did what I had to do to protect my sister. So you can be mad at me all you want, but it doesn’t change the fact that I love you, you love me and now we don’t have a time limit. We can be together for all eternity and explore the world, do whatever we want.”

“I’m not upset that you became a vampire, Liva. I was going to ask you to become one sooner or later anyway.” Damon informed her coolly and saw a hotel just up ahead, deciding it would be best to stop now just in case they didn’t run into another one on the highway before sunrise. “What upsets me is the fact you kept that secret from me. You didn’t trust me enough to tell me about it.”

Olivia scoffed, rolling her eyes and crossed one leg over the other, not believing what he just said. “Are you kidding me? Would you have honestly let me keep it if you knew about it?” She shot back at him, watching his jaw tighten ever so slightly and that sexy tick formed, making Olivia’s body once again flood with unwanted warmth. “I’ll answer that question for you and the answer is NO. You would’ve taken it away from me and then I would’ve been forced to ask Meredith for another vial!”

Pulling into the hotel parking lot, Damon cut the ignition of his Camaro and looked over at Olivia, both of their eyes searing with both anger and hot passion. “I don’t want you keeping anything from me anymore, Olivia. You scared the hell out of me when I came back to the mansion and you were gone. I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again, if I’d get to you in time.” He stepped out of the car and flashed over to open the passenger door, watching her slowly step out, slamming it shut. “I love you and I don’t want us keeping secrets from each other anymore. So is there anything else you need to tell me that I don’t know?”

“Only that you need to realize I’m not made of glass, Damon. I’m a woman capable of making my own decisions in life and I’m more than capable of handling myself.” She cupped his face in her soft hands, running her thumbs across his cheeks and kissed his lips softly. “I’ve shined and I’ve shattered, but you’ve picked up the pieces and put me back together. I’m not fragile, I’m a lot stronger than you’ve given me credit for and, if I have to go behind your back to protect the ones I love again, I’ll do it in a heartbeat.”

Damon knew Olivia meant everything she just said and pressed his forehead to hers, pulling her into his arms. “You may not be made of glass, but you’re incredibly fragile to me and I’ll never let you break.” He captured her lips with his and lifted her up, carting her toward the hotel to make up for some much needed lost time.

They were finally back together and nothing would tear them apart, not even death.

The End.